Editor:

Thanks to letter writers Laura Madjedi and Robert C. Van Fleet (Aug. 25) for sharing personal elaboration toward greater community consciousness of end of life options in Humboldt ("End of Life Options," Aug. 18). As a community, we seem to be like the Buddha as a young prince, coming out of the palace of denial and observing that in reality, life includes old age, sickness and death. Having just returned from a difficult family dialogue to fill out another state's version of the California Physician Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment form for advance directives, I appreciate that we have more options than before. Clearly, there also is still room for improvement, which will evolve through respectful and visible community dialogue.

Sherry Skillwoman, McKinleyville