The person on the gurney (wheeled stretcher) is on their last trip. That is, they were about to die and knew it. They asked this paramedic to take them to the beach along the way, so they could see the ocean one last time.

There is tragedy in human life, and none as persistent as death. And so we need to help and comfort those at the end of their years, as this paramedic did, quietly waiting until the patient was ready. This was an act of mercy, and a deeply ennobling one: The patient was blessed; the paramedic became a better being.

* * * * *

Before going back to the mundane, please, think about what you might do for for a friend, neighbor, relative or acquaintance at the end of their days. Do not get morose; rather, imagine what uplifting thing you might do to help them, with their feelings, in their situation.