For those who have been aware of the plight of a young woman named Brittany Maynard, but may not yet know, this courageous being made a conscious choice to end her suffering. In an article I wrote for The Good Men Project, called Is Death With Dignity the Same As Suicide?, I delve into the painful decisions that she and her family were faced with as a devastating form of advanced cancer assaulted her body.

I have been a therapist for three decades or so and have sat with people who have contemplated ending their lives as a result of physical and/or emotional pain. I have searched for solutions with them, have offered options, have stepped back and realized finally that I have no control over their choices. Now, having said this, the circumstances under which Maynard exited was a well considered, medically supervised, family endorsed plan, with the option to change her mind. It wasn’t as if she wanted to die. She clearly stated that she was not suicidal. She knew that the disease would take her, quite painfully. She already had more than her share of excruciating sensations as a result.

On Saturday, as planned, surrounded by her loved ones, she crossed over. Shortly beforehand, she and her family took one last trip to The Grand Canyon to celebrate her ‘one wild and precious’ life.

This decision comes with all sorts of ramifications-spiritual as well as physical and emotional. I, for one, am grateful that she and the God of her understanding came to an agreement that love of life matters more than longevity. May she find peace and may her family find healing in the midst of their loss.