Five Wishes: Wish 5 and Remembrance

Concluding our discussion of Five Wishes Wish 3 and Wish 4, Jim and psychotherapist Margaret McGahon deal with Wish 5, “My Wish for What I Want My Loved Ones to Know.”

McGahon notes that as we near closer to the end of life, we begin to evaluate our past choices and relationships, and consider forgiveness. Her clinical work addresses forgiveness and the importance of helping others work to forgive others, particularly family members. “Forgiveness is about feeling free,” McGahon says, “and what more would you want as you leave this earth than knowing that you’ve left with freedom.”

Jim says Wish 5 deals extensively with forgiveness, and other personal matters. “Wish 5 addresses the heart of a person – how I want to be remembered and what I want my loved ones to know.” The two discuss human dignity and respect at the bedside, which Five Wishes helps ensure.