Photo courtesy of Steffen Kaplan/@SpinItSocial
Synopsis
Terry Manzo has chosen to live a meaningful life as a nurse, mother, grandmother, volunteer, guerrilla gardener, dog trainer for the blind, activist and more. She is also choosing a meaningful death when her time comes. In a culture of death-denial Terry has learned that one can only fully embrace life by embracing its end as well. Terry’s story will inspire many much-needed conversations about both life, and what a good death could mean.
Director’s Statement
My last film “Sensei Fran Kicks Ass” celebrated a very accomplished older woman who embraced life with courage. But while Fran was fearless about embracing life, she was in denial about her own mortality. This left a difficult situation for those who cared about her once her memory and health started to decline. I came to realize that another form of courage is embodied by those who are able to face the idea of their own eventual demise with an honest and realistic approach. These people also needed to be celebrated and showcased as well.
According to Pew Research there are currently roughly 62 million adults ages 65 and older living in the U.S., accounting for 18% of the population. By 2054, 84 million adults ages 65 and older will make up an estimated 23% of the population. Nearly half of Americans over 55 don’t even have a will. Only a third have any type of advanced directive for end of life care. Few of us are prepared for our final days, much less comfortably discuss them with loved ones.
The cost of this avoidance is enormous and multi-faceted, resulting in much needless expense, time, and suffering. What if we faced our fears instead? Terry Manzo is an example of how with an attitude of realistic acceptance and a little planning we can live our final years with more peace and less anguish for both ourselves and our loved ones.
References
1 Beshay. (2024, April 14). U.S. centenarian population is projected to quadruple over the next 30 years. Pew Research Center. Retrieved August 9, 2024 from https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/01/09/us-centenarian-population-is-projected-to-quadruple-over-the-next-30-years/
2 Germano, M. (2019, February 15). Despite Their Priorities, Nearly Half Of Americans Over 55 Still Don’t Have A Will. Forbes. Retrieved August 9, 2024 from https://www.forbes.com/sites/maggiegermano/2019/02/15/despite-their-priorities-nearly-half-of-americans-over-55-still-dont-have-a-will/?sh=1748a5d65238
3 Yadav, K. N., Gabler, N. B., Cooney, E., Kent, S., Kim, J., Herbst, N., Mante, A., Halpern, S. D., & Courtright, K. R. (2017). Approximately One In Three US Adults Completes Any Type Of Advance Directive For End-Of-Life Care. Health Affairs, 36(7), 1244–1251. Retrieved August 9, 2024 from https://doi.org/10.1377/hlthaff.2017.0175