An Analysis of Don't Go Gentle Into That Good NightThe first time I read Dylan Thomas's words to his dying father, and I screamed, I completely agreed with Thomas's sentiments. How right he was, I thought, to demand that we fight to the end. This is how I would be when my time comes, and this is how everyone should be. I've had a few years to think about it. Today, burning and raging have less appeal and I find myself impatient with the "Give 'em Hell!" crowd. Probably his belligerent stance helped Thomas the son. The psychotherapist in me thinks, “This is one way to avoid feeling the pain of loss: focus on how the person you are losing should behave.” » And if we refuse to accept parental death, we can, like Woody Allen, nourish the secret, sneaky wish that even if “everyone dies, I hope that in my case they will make an exception”. But what did Thomas the father feel? about this? We are not aware of this information. My own father died suddenly in his sleep when I was nine years old. Part of me must have felt angry and betrayed, but at nine years old, I couldn't express my grief, much less my rage. I will never know what it was like for him. I have lived since the death of my octogenarian grandmother, my septuagenarian mother, middle-aged friends, colleagues and professors, and young clients cruelly claimed by AIDS and cancer. . Most of the time, I desperately wanted the person to live and not die, but I became very careful not to add my own need to the dying person's burden, offering only wholehearted loving support. I have come to believe that the affirmation of life is not incompatible with the acceptance of its inevitable end; that the...... middle of paper ......y and the loss that inspires us. He transformed his tragic situation by going gently. Is longevity all we aspire to? Do we admire a rose less because it won't live as long as an oak tree? The Alcohol Anonymous prayer requires the courage to change what can be changed, the serenity to accept what cannot, and the wisdom to know the difference. Acquiring this wisdom is surely one of our most valuable and important goals. Balancing our appreciation for hair dye, cosmetic surgery, fitness, hip replacements, contact lenses, etc., with respect for age - and possibly death - is essential for serenity. I believe that I can cherish life, work tirelessly to find cures and alleviate suffering, and wear lipstick, all while recognizing the truth and beauty of Buddha's words: "Everything that has a beginning has a beginning." END. Make peace with it and all will be well."