Mother said heroically she would rather die
than live for the time being. Then she could rest forever without any pain and
annoyance. And in the meantime, her death would bring our deliverance from the
worries and stresses of taking care of her. If 88-year‐old mother died in her bed now,
it would be a death with no regrets, for her children and grandchildren are all
living well. We needn’t feel too sad because of her death. She just suffers
attacks of lumbago, not a fatal disease. I persuade her to keep a
positive attitude towards life and not to be absorbed in a bad mood any more,
for depression and unhappiness do great harm to her health. An optimistic weak
person can live longer and healthier than a pessimistic able‐bodied one, for the former has
a stronger immune system than the latter.