A Polish man facing terminal cancer wanted to celebrate his life in the most unconventional way possible. He and his daughter organized a special goodbye party for his loved ones to thank them "while he is alive" for making his life memorable at some point. A video of the unexpected celebration went viral, capturing the hearts of social media users.
In the popular video, the daughter said that openly admitting someone's approaching death is frowned upon in Poland since it is thought to bring bad luck. In the country, persons are historically honored and remembered after their funerals at a gathering called Stypa. However, her father followed tradition by organizing a pre-stypa to personally thank his loved ones one more time.
She said, “Last month my dad threw himself a goodbye party, knowing he will soon pass away from cancer." The elderly patient, on the other hand, added, “I am a bit nervous as everything is not prepared perfectly, but I think we’ll be okay."
The daughter also stated that some of the attendees were taken aback by the celebration, while others felt motivated. "His idea was to skip the post-funeral celebrations—where he wouldn't be present—and instead properly say goodbye to his friends and family while still alive," she told me.
The man invited 50 VIP guests to the celebration. The evening was filled with shared memories and thanks as he showed a slideshow and spoke stories about every one of his guests.
The video quickly captured the attention of netizens, and many were greatly moved by the man's creative farewell celebration. An Instagram user wrote, “That’s how we should prepare for transitioning to another dimension. That’s how it’s done! Bravo for your father."
Another person shared, “This is such a beautiful thing to do. As we get older, we can embrace the end of our journey, mindfully acknowledging the experience we’ve had. I’m sure more folks will be inspired to hold events like this."
A few people praised the father-daughter combination, naming their rock stars and giving prayers for his soul. Others pondered on the beauty of intentionally accepting the end of life, hoping that this compassionate approach would inspire others to arrange similar meetings. Some underlined that there is no better way to say goodbye than with love, presence, and shared memories in person.
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