"Do not believe that he who seeks to comfort you lives untroubled in the simple and quiet words that sometimes do you good. His life has much difficulty and sadness. Were it otherwise, he would have never been able to find these words." Ranier Maria Rilke, Letters to a Young Poet
I don't know how I found my way to this site but I knew Helen and Ethan and truly admired them both. They were vibrant and passionate about each other and, in their time here, lived life to the fullest. With yours as an exception, the comments on this site were just plain mean.
I don't think that it was the MS alone that forced a decision. Sometimes you simply don't know what people are privately facing.
I appreciate your empathy for the hardships they faced and I wish you ease and comfort with your MS. I know that it must be tough to read posts like this- it was for me. I find it unfathomable that so many people read the obituary with such glee.
Knowing them, I believe they recognized that their story would make waves but I don't think that it was Bush or MS or job insults that led to their decision. I think it came down to each of them being fearful of living life without the other. To the others: Ethan and Helen Levine were examples of lives well-lived. Please try to find it in your hearts to have sympathy for the conditions which led to their decision and NOT to delight solely in their end decision.