19 steps on the road to eternity (23 photos)

Saying goodbye to loved ones who are leaving forever is very difficult. But when you realize that separation is inevitable, you want to make their final days bright, surround them with love and attention, and give them the warmth you didn't have the chance to give during life. This is the sad story of a man diagnosed with cancer. His son decided to capture his beloved father's final days in photographs and posted them online to remind everyone that death is inevitable and that we should always cherish the moments spent with loved ones.

View touching and sad photographs that depict the final chapters of a man's life as he steps onto the threshold of eternity.





Photographer Josh Neufeld's father died in 2015. When doctors diagnosed him with cancer, it was too late to fight the disease. He was given only two months to live.

At that time, the whole family gathered together. Even distant relatives they hadn't seen in a long time came. This unity and support inspired the young man to share these poignant moments with social media users.





His father was always a role model, a teacher, and a mentor who guided his son through life.



The man spent his final days in a hospice, where his wife and children were constantly with him. Josh shared his idea for an unusual photo project with his father, who supported it. His father suggested calling the series "Encountering Mortality."





His wife and children did everything they could to ensure their beloved husband and father's final days were happy.



A few months after his diagnosis, the patient's condition worsened: his back pain intensified, and he became extremely weak. His condition deteriorated rapidly.





The family shared news with the man and brought his favorite things to the hospital.



The chain of "barely perceptible pain - diagnosis - death" lasted only a couple of months.





When Dad still had the strength, Mom would take him for a walk.



The whole family watched with sadness as this cheerful, positive man, who loved cycling, drinking wine, writing books, and being the life of the party, turned to dust.





He maintained a positive outlook until the very last minute.



These few weeks were the longest of his family's lives. For the last 19 days, they spent 10 hours a day in hospice care. It was this time that his son captured in black-and-white photographs.





The man was grateful to his family for their care and love.

He gave the project its name, and, ironically, the main character himself became its protagonist.





He never stopped smiling, despite his condition rapidly deteriorating with each passing day.

The road to eternity is especially difficult for those accompanying those heading into the arms of death. But it is inevitable: sooner or later, we will have to be with our loved ones as they depart, and then we ourselves will have to prepare for the journey. The main thing is to remember this while our loved ones are still alive, so that later we don’t regret what was left unsaid and undone.