Come See Me in the Good Light is a deeply moving documentary that follows poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley as they face one of life’s most difficult journeys, a cancer diagnosis that ultimately claimed Gibson’s life earlier this year.
“I thought this was the beginning of a nightmare,” Gibson once reflected. “But stay with me, y’all, because my story is one about happiness — the kind that becomes easier to find when we finally understand we do not have forever to find it.”
That sentiment captures the heart of the film: a meditation on love, mortality, and the radical act of living fully in the face of impermanence.
After Gibson’s passing, Falley shared a letter that beautifully embodies the spirit of both the film and their shared humanity:
“A couple of years ago, Andrea said, ‘Whenever I leave this world, whether it’s sixty years from now or sooner, I wouldn’t want anyone to say I lost some battle. I’ll be a winner that day.’
Whatever emotion rises in you right now — grief, anger, tenderness — hold that truth beside it: Andrea didn’t lose anything. If you’d been in our home during the three days of their dying, if you’d seen the dozens of friends come to help, to say goodbye, to say thank you, to kiss their perfect face; if you’d felt the love that left every hospice nurse speechless — you would have agreed. Andrea won.”
Falley’s words offer both comfort and perspective. Having recently faced my own early-stage prostate cancer diagnosis, monitored closely every few months, I find myself seeing the world and films like this through a gentler, more luminous lens. Life feels more fragile, yet infinitely more precious.
I’m often reminded of that haunting Twilight Zone episode where a young Robert Redford plays Death himself when death comes knocking. He gently visits an elderly woman who clings desperately to life, terrified of letting go. Yet, as the story unfolds, she sees that Death isn’t the monster she feared but a quiet companion guiding her toward peace.
That episode stays with me because it captures a universal truth: when death draws near, our priorities shift. The noise, the grudges, and the trivial frustrations of daily life fade into the background. What remains is what truly matters.
In those moments, goodness rises to the surface. People soften. Compassion takes center stage. Old wounds find healing, and forgiveness flows more easily. There’s a quiet grace that surrounds those facing the inevitable, a calm acceptance that life, for all its pain and chaos, has been a gift.
When death beckons, we’re reminded that the end is not just about loss; it’s about clarity. It’s about making peace with ourselves, with others, and with the brief, beautiful story we were lucky enough to live.
“Dying is the opposite of leaving. When I left my body, I did not go away. That portal of light was not a portal to elsewhere, but a portal to here. I am more here than I ever was before. I am more with you than I ever could have imagined. So close you look past me when wondering where I am. It’s Ok. I know that to be human is to be farsighted. But feel me now, walking the chambers of your heart, pressing my palms to the soft walls of your living. Why did no one tell us that to die is to be reincarnated in those we love while they are still alive?”
Come See Me in the Good Light is more than a documentary; it’s an invitation to celebrate resilience, creativity, and the enduring light of love. The film premieres on November 14 on Apple TV. Get ready to keep a box of tissues close, this one will tug hard at your heart and leave you wiping away more than a few tears.