Talking about death has always been sort of a taboo within our society. Most of us live our lives without the thought of having a limited time on this planet. Death makes many people uncomfortable, but it is an inevitable part of life for every living thing on Earth. Although we could all hope to peacefully pass of old age, you can never really predict which moment will be your last, and that's why people's dying words are so intriguing.
Living life to the fullest is imperative, no matter your age or health. Do you know what you would do if you knew your life was almost over? What would you say if you knew you only had a few minutes left to live? These Reddit users have shared last words from people they knew— and how hearing these profound statements in person have affected them. Some of these are bound to have you thinking long and hard about how you spend your precious days.
Don't forget to check the comment section below the article for more interesting stories!
#25 A Happier Ending
My grandpa had Alzheimer’s. I don’t think he could speak for the last month of his life. I don’t believe he said anything close to his death.
Before he entirely lost his speech though, I was visiting him in the nursing home. He looked up at me with the most love and happiness I had ever seen on his face and said, “Irma?”
Irma was his first wife who left him before he ever met my grandmother. My grandmother was horribly abusive to him and never allowed anyone to talk about Irma, including my aunt who was Irma’s only daughter.
It broke my heart that he didn’t know me, but I was thankful he had forgotten what happened to her. It’s fitting that was the last thing I ever heard him say.
#24 One Last Lesson From Mom
One of the last things my mom said to me while on her deathbed was, “It’s ok, let it all out. It takes a real man to cry”.
#23 Stubborn Until Death
My father had been moved to hospice and I had been called to come because he was going to die soon. When my father saw me, he said, "I know why you're here," (looks at my sister) because she thinks I'm going to die (turns to me), but I'm not gonna do it!"
He never spoke again, slipped into a coma and died three days later.
My Dad. Stubborn fellow.
#22 Absolutely Heartbreaking
“Save my baby.”
I was doing an impromptu c-spine on a woman in a car crash. She said it right before she passed out. She was five months pregnant.
I’ll never forget her voice.
#21 One Final Request
"I want to go now". From my grandad who had spent days being kept alive by machines, he said that just after the last of our family arrived to say goodbye.
#20 True Love
Worked as a career for elderly people. One lady was 92, had been married for 70 years to her husband who passed away 1 week before. He told her he’d “wait by their tree with the roses for her” because she was scared to die. When it came to be her turn, she woke up for the first time in days, opened her eyes and said “I knew you’d be there waiting” and passed away. Just shows that some people are made to be together. Made us all cry though.
#19 Lasting Memory
My father passed after a long battle with cancer when I was 15. His last words to me were, “You will always be my favorite memory”. The cancer was affecting his brain at that point, so it was one of the only lucid-ish things he said to me that day. Got it tattooed on me the day I turned 18.
#18 Making Peace
After a number of strokes and living in an assisted care facility, my dad's organs were starting to give up. He was adamant about not receiving any treatment and we respected that so we knew it would only be a matter of days. The last time I visited him before he slipped into a coma I told him I loved him when I left— like I always did. He said: "I love you too, my girl." At that stage he had barely been able to make himself understandable for months because the strokes had severely affected his speech. He was the best dad ever and although we knew how much he loved us, he was not one to say it often.
Those few words gave me peace. And that's the best thing one can ask for when a loved one dies.
#17 Rather Haunting
I’m in medical imaging, and not me but a coworker once heard a patient say, “You’re killing me...” while doing a long scan. The patient died during the test. All the scan involved was the patient lying still, I’m not sure what he died from.
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#16 Life Moves—And Ends—Fast
Nurse here— had a patient look at me and tell me he thought he was dying. Then bam. He died. Super freaking quick. He was a DNR (do not resuscitate) so couldn't take any actions. In all my years of nursing, it's only happened that once and never happened again. But you can bet your last dollar that I pay super close attention to what my patients say!
#15 Completely Unexpected
A customer was complaining to me about his rental car's auto stop feature. Then he started making a death rattle sound and fell to the ground with a heart attack. It felt like it took the medics forever to get there, and I'm afraid he didn't make it.
It bothered me for a while that I was part of what was most likely this man's last conversation, and it was so meaningless, and he was at the airport by himself. It was so sad.
#14 The Key To Happiness
Made an insanely stupid drive through a snowstorm in January 2014 with my wife (fiancé at the time, we got married that coming August) to see my Grandma who was in her last days. The usual four-hour drive took almost seven and there were multiple points I couldn’t see any road and was eeking along at a roll just trying to keep myself out of the ditch.
We made it there late at night. My mom showed me in grandma's room the silver sequined jacket my Grandma had picked out to wear to our wedding. It was already hanging out and set aside even though the wedding wasn’t for months and she probably knew she’d never make it.
I sat next to her for an hour that night and she stirred awake only once for a short time. She smiled and got out only one word “happiness”. She passed away the next night.
I took it to mean that she wished us happiness and wanted my wife and I to live it each and every day. I try my best to live up to that.
#13 The Start Of A Beautiful Marriage
My grandfather told my boyfriend to "take care of my baby girl." A few months later, after nine years of being together (he's been previously married), he proposed. He told me what my grandfather said and why it was so important for him to spend the rest of his life taking care of me. It was a very sweet moment on many levels and I will never forget it.
#12 One Final Request
Was in the back of an ambulance doing CPR, defibrillated the guy. He came around for a second, looked us dead in the eye and said calmly and clearly, "Could I please have another pillow?", then he died.
#11 It's All About Perspective
I was out of town the day before my grandma died. She called me to make sure I had breakfast. I told her I had porridge. She used to make it for me when I was a kid. She knew I was lying because who has porridge at a hotel? She said to make sure you eat breakfast everyday. Then I told her I love you, see you tomorrow. She replied "Yes". Last thing she ever said to me. Now I hear yes as "I love you too". Like when I ask my son to clean his room and he says "Yes. Yes. Yes", I know intellectually he means go away, you're annoying, but I hear it as I love you too.
#10 A Meaningful Tribute
I was in the room when my friend died of cancer. He'd been slipping in and out of consciousness and talking gibberish for hours, then all of a sudden he sort of whimpered my name and said: “Don’t let fear control your life. Okay, buddy?”
He died a couple of hours later. I actually carry that quote with me, I wrote it down the day he died and put it in my wallet so I look at it every day. His biggest fear was that he would be forgotten so I make it a point to remember him and his words every day. He was a good soul. I miss him.
#9 A Moving Moment Of Self-Love
My husband's grandmother smiled and said, "Oh! Look at me, I'm beautiful." and quit breathing.
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#8 No Gift Can Ever Compare
It was last year, my grandfather and I were pretty close to each other and I will always admire him. He was dying of lung cancer and it was in his final stages ( they gave him morphine so he was just ''sleeping''). I honestly thought he was already dead and started crying. I was with him and my family for like four hours and he barely said a word. It was my birthday (sadly) but his last words were, "Happy birthday I love you''.
#7 Any Moment Could Be Your Last
"This has been a real wakeup call. I need to make changes in my life." He had a stroke the instant he finished that sentence.
#6 Sassy In His Last Seconds
I come from a family of semi-professional singers. On his deathbed, my grandfather looked over at his second-youngest daughter and said, “Your vibrato sucks.” She laughs about it now.
#5 Until We Meet Again
My grandfather died 15 years ago. When my grandmother died last year her last words before going to sleep were: "[Grandfather''s name] come get me. It has been so long."
#4 His Final Bow
On his deathbed, my grandpa said "Curtains" and died not long after. He was an actor, and a real drama queen.
#3 Crossing The Rainbow Bridge
Wasn't his very last words, but very close. My grandfather as he laid dying said: "Nicky, you come to see me boy?". Nicky was his beloved border collie farm dog that had been gone for 10+ years. I like to think he came for him.
Still tears me up. I loved that dog too.
#2 Some Need A Little Help
It's a wildly believed fact in Indian tradition that sometimes people, at their last dying moments, can't let go of their bodies. Which in turn prolongs the suffering. So, to help them, people pour ocimum tenuiflorum water. It's seen as a sort of helping hand for the unfortunate to cross the border (wish I could articulate better). Towards the end of my grandmother's tough battle with cancer, she couldn't just let go. After helping her with ocimum tenuiflorum water, she started repeating "Maa, I'm coming" over and over again until she passed.
Those words stuck with me.
#1 Just A Beautiful Person
The day before my grandfather slipped into his last sleep my car broke down. He heard about it and gave me a lot of money when I visited him. The last thing he said to me: 'I wanted to see you smile for one last time.' Man, I'm even tearing up right now.
