Art Buchwald

I am about half way through reading Art Buchwald's latest book, Too Soon to Say Goodbye, when I discover that he indeed did say goodbye, while surrounded by family at his home, on Wednesday. The creative humorist and satirist experienced kidney failure in late 2005. After twelve dialysis treatments he decided to stop the treatments. Doctors told him he had about three weeks to live, so on February 7, 2006 he moved into the Washington Home and Hospice. In March he wrote, "The big question we still have to ask is not where we're going, but what were we doing here in the first place". Death didn't come as scheduled and 5 months later Art moved to his beloved summer home in Martha's Vineyard where he completed the forementioned book and wrote his column. He wrote that the time in the hospice was the best time of his life. In June he filmed his own obituary for the New York Times. You can see this amazing interview on the New York Times by clicking here and typing "The Last Word" in the search space. What an example of what it means to "live in the midst of dying". Art's humor and quick wit has made the world a more tolerable place to live.