Death

We have a "free post week" so that means I can write about anything! So, of course, I've decided to write about death. Not to be depressed or anything, but because I find it interesting how my idea of it has changed so much over the past few years. (Don't worry, I'm not suicidal or anything).

Death is a "taboo" topic in many cultures, we often don't talk about it because of the negative connotation it carries: it is often presented as the "ultimate sacrifice" or a "horrible price to pay". We mourn when others die: we wish with all our hearts our passed loved ones are still alive and those of us lucky enough to lead happy lives fear our own with a burning passion. I suppose this does make sense because if our ancestors didn't have an aversion to death, who's to say they wouldn't all die happily and make the entire species extinct? Natural selection and evolution seems to be very much present in our lives, as much as we try to separate ourselves from simple biological instinct and hold ourselves above other "lowly" animals. It's clear that we can't all live forever, but it's still difficult to accept passing as a natural step in the circle of life. I think maturity comes with age, as young children, death is the worst possible fate one can have, and we feel blessed to be as young as we are with long lives ahead of us. As we grow older and experience new things, we learn to appreciate our lives more, if we lived forever, the appreciation would be lost in meaningless repetition. Everything must be in balance: life and death are equal and opposite, without death, there cannot be life. A rock will never die, but it was never alive in the first place. Just like how the biggest and brightest stars burn out the most quickly, we, as humans, have short lifespans in the timeline of the universe, but with this comes the beautiful gift of being able to live life to the fullest of our ability. I love my life, but I know that death is coming. Instead of fearing it however, I will welcome it when it comes. An eternal sleep, peace, and final present for facing and struggling through the hardships of life, as well as a provider of perspective onto our own.