Finally, in a whisper, he said, “I know how I want to die.” I waited in silence. “I want to die serenely. Peacefully. Not like what just happened. “And this is where detachment comes in. If I die in the middle of a coughing spell like I just had, I need to be able to detach from the horror, I need to say, ‘This is my moment.’ “I don’t want to leave the world in a state of fright. I want to know what’s happening, accept it, get to a peaceful place, and let go. Do you understand?”
