Thank God he remembered me, and he invited me to come to his place, about 60 kilometers from downtown Bangkok. I was stunned by the natural beauty around the retreat center and AIDS hospice where Brother John lives and works. Tropical trees, ponds, birds - you name it, and you probably can find it here, except maybe for elephants. There are beautiful bungalows that would make you feel like you were at a Mediterranean resort. Death is part of daily life in Lamsai.
People spend their last moments of life residing in that beautiful setting.
When I was younger, I used to visit the hospital to see my dying grandmother, with whom I had spent most of my life. Hence, death was not necessarily a new experience for me. But she was 87 years old. Although it was difficult to watch someone special die, somewhere in my mind I knew that she was about to end her journey in this world. People had loved her.