Finding ‘meaning’ in life while facing a terminal illness

To the editor: Like it or not, we all must face our mortality. The valuable takeaway from Melinda Welsh’s poignant piece on her terminal illness is to be “a devotee of living fully in the present.” (“I have terminal cancer and I know my friends want to ask, ‘Aren’t you dead yet?’” Opinion, July 17)

With such an approach, stresses and worries can be replaced with the awareness of immediate positive realities rather than dwelling on worries over which we have little or no control. Indeed, facing death heightens awareness of our limited number of heartbeats.

Reconciling this reality becomes more manageable when recognizing it is “meaning” that is at the core of our existence; indeed, it is only through meanings that we make sense of our existence.

In life, we can find meaning through a sense of purpose, making life worthwhile. This is essential for optimal emotional development and a hopeful future.

Richard Boudreau, MD, Marina del Rey

The writer is a bioethicist at Loyola Marymount University.

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