As a whole, Berg’s sprawling novel proposes that the end of life can be a period of mindful presence and continued connection, and Flo’s choice to engage with her friends and neighbors reflects her decision to reject the stereotype of a decline and death defined solely by pain, disability, and fear. Her approach reframes the dying process itself as arguably one of the most meaningful stages of living. Through Flo’s philosophical attitude and her friendship with Teresa, a death doula, the narrative advocates for treating death as a natural transition that can be navigated with grace, purpose, and even a sense of adventure. 

The narrative establishes this perspective by framing death as a journey, and this sentiment is aptly demonstrated in the late Flo’s choice of her final outfit. When Teresa finds her body, Flo is clad in a tweed suit, nylon stockings, and heels, clearly mindful of her approaching death and simultaneously “intending to go somewhere” (3). This “travel suit” is the same one she wore on her only airplane ride with her husband, Terrence, and her decision to be buried in it reinforces her concept of death as a voyage into another mode of existence. In this interpretation, Flo is not ceasing to be; she is embarking on one last trip to be reunited with the love of her life.

Throughout the novel, Flo maintains a deliberate sense of purpose that reinforces the importance of seeking calm in the face of death. Rather than withdrawing from the world, Flo actively engages with her loved ones in her final months. She also cultivates new friendships with Teresa, Mildred, and Mimi, and she undertakes the significant project of writing her life story for Ruthie, endeavoring to set her most important memories down in a lasting medium that will ensure the survival of her personal legacy. Even as she explores a lifetime of memories, she remains grounded in the present. When Teresa encourages her to hope for a longer life, Flo says, “I’m not thinking about whether or not to live. I’m thinking about living” (151). In this light, her decision to get a multi-colored pedicure and a blue streak in her hair becomes a vivid assertion of selfhood and a joyful embrace of new experiences, even as she acknowledges that she has fewer experiences left to discover. Her approach reflects her enduring belief that it is never too late for playfulness. When she first meets Flo, Teresa reinforces this theme with the story of a terminally ill gardener who, after being given a prognosis of weeks, persuaded his hospice to let him return home. There, he lived and gardened for two more years, sustained by the purpose his work gave him. Flo’s approach to death suggests that she interprets this anecdote in a different way: While her letter writing is analogous to the gardener’s work, she is less concerned with whether it adds years to her life than with whether it adds meaning to the time she has. When combined, these separate story threads suggest that meaningful activity and a strong will can deeply shape a person’s final chapter.

Ultimately, the novel champions curiosity and eschews the concept of fearing death’s inevitability. Teresa notes that Flo’s attitude was philosophical; she “wondered about it more than she feared or grieved it” (3). While Flo does admit to experiencing moments of fear, her primary response is to focus on the world’s “common wonders” and to find comfort in her spirituality. When she has a nightmare about the devil, she recalls Terrence’s advice to imagine him in a saggy diaper, and her ability to transform her perspective allows her to remain a student of life even as she approaches its conclusion.