What’s in a word?

Quite a lot as it happens, especially when it comes to the word ‘terminal’.

What brings me to write this, you may ask? And for those of you re-visiting this website or if you are visiting it for the first time, I’m one of the Rev Dr Sidney Bindemann’s three son’s, who is hoping to keep this website alive.

Anyway, I’m writing this as I believe, what I have written is something that our late father would agree wholeheartedly with.

So, returning to the purpose of this short blog, which was actually prompted by a tweet I wrote this week, and if anyone is interested, my twitter handle is @nbinders.

The tweets goes like this:

“I find the word ‘terminal’ to be so destructive to any form of hope we may need. Given we all depart this world one day & yes, some sooner than others, life is terminal. So, please can we revise the medical dictionary & guide families to optimise #qualityoflife no matter how short.”

I was reflecting on that tweet this morning, whilst sitting in the shed watching the rain coming down and listening to a wonderful book “Creative Care” by Anne Basting – you should read it, it’s beautiful.

Suddenly, this idea of a train ‘terminal’ came to mind.

If you are travelling along life’s train track, enjoying the views that surround you, engaging with people as they pass by, and suddenly that journey crashes to a halt because the train hit’s the buffers of the ‘terminal’, not only will you be traumatised, but the people around you, who love & care for you will be damaged.

So perhaps this simple illustration will help people to better understand why I believe we need to rethink the use of the word ‘terminal’.