Other Columns by Mike Bayham
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The most painful moments of my life were not instances when I was in any physical discomfort, but when I was bearing witness to the emotional suffering of others.

They say the hardest thing in the world for any human being is to bury his or her own child. I believe it.

While this is something that hits home having lost my only brother, lacking a direct relation to the young person being waked does not insulate one's psyche from the profound sadness expressed by a mother or a father upon gazing at their child for the last time.

Regrettably thanks to the societal scourge of drugs and adolescent depression, I have attended more than a few funerals for individuals under the age of 30.

Hearing a mother shriek to the heavens "why couldn't you have taken me" as she nearly climbs inside her deceased child's coffin for one final embrace is something that will bring tears to the eyes of a stranger. There is no doubting the parent's willingness to trade positions and if there was anything that could be done to bring the child back to life; she would stop at nothing to do it.

To a lesser degree, the same could be said for those on hand for the service. Who wouldn't be willing to do something within their power, short of forsaking their own life, to ease the pain of their friend or family member?

In Florida, a mother and father have found themselves in that very position as they fight to save the life of their daughter, Terri Schiavo.

The former Terri Schindler suffered brain damage due to chemical reaction that was precipitated by a misdiagnosis. Mrs. Schiavo has been described in the media as being in vegetative state with little hope of recovering from her condition, though she is able to breathe without a ventilator.

Her husband, Michael Schiavo, has been battling his in-laws in court to have the feeding tube removed, claiming that his wife did not want to live in such a manner, a statement she supposedly made prior to being debilitated.

The Federal courts will ultimately decide the matter as Mrs. Schiavo's starvation enters its third day.

It is not known whether Terri Schiavo ever stated she did not want to live under these circumstances. All that can be done is to accept the word of a man, who still legally married to Terri Schiavo, has fathered children with his live-in girlfriend. Though the point has not been mentioned much in the press, Michael Schiavo's time in the limelight now makes him the world's most famous adulterer after the 42nd president.

Perhaps more importantly, even if Terri did make such a statement, how can it be known if it was something she had thought long and hard over or was just a casual blurb about a situation she thought she would never find herself in?

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