Several years ago, on my return from a long trip around the world, it was apparent that I was very ill and in need of nursing care. I was taken to a nursing home for Christian Scientists near New York City. Although I was receiving help from a Christian Science practitioner, I did not want to live. Internal difficulties caused constant nausea, fever, pain, and nightmares. Also, the future held problems I was afraid to face.
The morning after my arrival, a nurse came to care for me. She looked at me with such love and said, "Oh, dear one, live, live!" I was deeply touched that a perfect stranger wanted so earnestly for me to live, but I felt too tired to go on.
One evening, several weeks later, I felt an overwhelming desire to give my consent to slip into death. While I was debating whether to do so, a nurse sitting beside my bed sensed this temptation and urged me not to accept it. Then I remembered the loving care of the nurses, the devotion of my daughter and the practitioner, and knew that I could not let go.
