I signed the papers to stop treatment

Dear Delyara, My father had advanced lung disease and could no longer speak for himself. The doctors asked whether he would want continued ventilation. He had once told me he never wanted to live on machines, so I signed the paperwork to withdraw treatment. He died three hours later. My brothers agreed at the hospital. Since the funeral, one of them has begun saying we acted too quickly. He sends articles about people who recovered after weeks on ventilators. I know Father’s condition was different. I have read the notes. I have spoken to the consultant again. None of it silences the thought that my signature turned possibility into certainty. My mother keeps thanking me for making the decision because she could not. Her gratitude feels unbearable. I was following my father’s wishes. I also became the person who authorised the machine to stop breathing for him. Both statements are true, and guilt keeps choosing only one.