I will never forget walking on a track with a physician. Our conversation centered around Bioethics, Whe is the right time to say to a doctor, “Let my loved one go?” He cited several instances when the patient had not made end-of-life decisions and families kept loved one alive when there was no quality of life. I shared a story with him about how I had to “referee” a family battle around the death bed of their mother. As she had never exactly made her wishes clear,they were divided about heroic measures to prolong her life.I ushered them out of the room, reminding them that although their mother seemed out of it, she could still hear their bickering. Finally, they decided to use a feeding tube. I wondered if that decision was based on the fact they had not had the best relationship with their mother, and were trying to make up for it by keeping her alive as long as possible. Although he was an agnostic, the doctor’s response has lingered with me for many years. He said,. “Dick, why is it that those of you are believers in a better life beyond this one, would want to keep loved ones alive when there is no quality of life?” I had no answer for that! My next book, At the Edge of Life: Conversations When Death is Near (Upper Room Books) grew out of my concern that most people do not deal with end-of-life issues or have difficulties talking with a dying loved one.The little book of 72 pages show how to talk with one another when death is near. It offers conversation starters. on how to talk with dying loved ones about life’s most important questions. Katy Butler has well said, “Unless we create new rites of passage to help prepare for death long before it comes, we will remain vulnerable to the commercial exploitation of our fears and to the implied promise that death can foerever be postponed.”