-April 11th 2026
The unexamined death is not worth dying. 

How I end my life is important. Ideally, my friends and family should have foreknowledge and a chance to say goodbye, nobody is traumatized by finding me dead or the cleanup, my estate is in order, and the death is not painful or violent. There are few options given current sentiment surrounding suicide, especially for a healthy person. However, Switzerland is providing an alternative. The right to choose the manner of dying is protected by Swiss law. There are Swiss non-profit organizations that will help an individual to self-administer pentobarbital sodium after careful checks into the person’s health and intention. One falls asleep within 20 seconds and dies within 5 minutes in the presence of loved ones. The company then cremates the body and sends it to next of kin. It isn’t cheap at $11,000, but it is currently the best option. My hope is that in the intervening 31 years I have left other countries join Switzerland and there are cheaper options closer to home. 

Check out other posts from Death Letter here.

-April 11th 2025
Longevity all too often means not a long life, but a long death. –Democritus

I plan to die when I am 80–a beautiful death. A death without pain or regret or surprise. I will die cogent, grateful, reconciled, and loved. There is a price for such a wonderful death and that is leaving a few good years unused. Not having the ability to predict the last good year, I have to be conservative. I can expect to be healthy and sound at 80. I am 48 today. That means I have 32 years of life left. What will I do with those years? How shall I arrange such an event? There are a lot of interesting questions to answer when one knows when they’re going to die. Who will be with me? What will I wear? What will be the last book I read? What will be the last song I hear? Can I perfect the end?

Check out other posts from Death Letter here.