A deathbed is where someone dies or spends their last few hours. It can be a place for emotional conversations, advice, confessions, and religious conversions. The atmosphere can vary from celebratory to tense.
A deathbed is literally a bed on which someone dies, although this term is also used more generally to refer to the hours before death. When someone is said to be on his deathbed, it usually implies that he is not expected to get up again and that people wishing to visit should do so quickly. Historically, the deathbed has been a place for emotional conversations, as people try to connect with the deceased before they miss a chance to do so.
Of course, not everyone dies on a bed, although many people do. People with terminal illnesses often die in bed, at home or in hospital, as do some elderly people who die in their sleep or traumatic accident victims who make it to a hospital bed before they expire. As a general rule, to be considered a deathbed, a bed must harbor someone for at least a few hours prior to death, and he or she must be conscious enough to converse with friends and family for at least some of this time.
Some people use their deathbed as an opportunity to dispense advice and ideas to friends and family, relying on the solemnity of the occasion to enforce the message. Others may choose to make a deathbed confession; deathbed confessions can bring up all sorts of interesting topics that people may have thought long gone, as the dying are often troubled by events in their pasts and a desire to make amends for acts of wrongdoing.
The deathbeds have also witnessed many religious conversions. “Deathbed conversion,” as it is known, is usually attributed to a desire to be prepared for the world beyond. Convicted atheists may seek the solace of religion at the end of their lives, for example, or people may feel pressured to convert from their faith by a priest or official representing another faith. Such deathbed conversions may also fulfill the wishes of survivors of the deceased; for example, a wife who wishes to be buried with her husband in a Christian cemetery may beg him to convert before she dies.
The atmosphere around a deathbed can vary greatly. Some people choose to celebrate the life of the dying around their deathbeds, by telling stories, singing songs, and eating food in what can seem almost cheerful surroundings. In other cases, the area can be more tense or solemn as people struggle to deal with the fact of death. Family members may even clash on their deathbeds as they discuss the best cure for the dying, various past events, or even a will.
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