Perspectives on Death
The finiteness of human life is one of those absolute truths. Much like how the Sun rises in the East and how we breathe for our sustenance. Death will come to everyone at some point or the other. Some snatched early or as they say in an untimely fashion, others living long enough, either living a complete life or in a way overstaying their welcome
No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don't want to die to get there. And yet death is the destination we all share. No one has ever escaped it. And that is as it should be, because Death is very likely the single best invention of Life. It is Life's change agent. It clears out the old to make way for the new
- Steve Jobs
Death, as a finite event that brings to an end something, is often seen as an event to feel sad about. The entire process of mourning, the writing of dirges, the obituaries being penned, most if not all of them possess a feeling of lament at the loss, a deep sense of grief. While it is understandable that there is this sense of sadness around the event, especially when the passing one is someone you knew well and cared for, the question to be asked is why don't we celebrate the life lived and look back on and cherish the moment that we savoured with the one who has passed
This fundamental change in perspective is something we should ponder over. While Death does bring to an end the physical being, the memories and the impact the person has left behind may and can last for a long time. While the passing of anyone near and dear is a sad event in the sense that the sadness arises from not being able to enjoy any moment together again, we should take an objective view, accept that our mortality is a given and having understood that start figuring out how to celebrate lives well-lived, complete lives, lives that have touched many around them in a positive way and leave a lasting impact
Great lives are to be celebrated, in their living, when they die and post that too
Did you know that the Mexicans celebrate ‘Dia de los muertos’ or the ‘Day of the Dead’. It is believed that the spirits of the dead come back to the mortal world and join their families to feast & dance. This is a day of celebration where the spirits are treated as guests and offerings made
