In class, we all shared a little bit about ourselves and everyone seems ready to go. I'm more than sure that their will be a lot of grief and sadness in this course before it is all over. We will all cry for one another and will be touched by the person next to us. I for one am very emotional, I cry easily. So I better make sure I carry my box of Kleenex with me.
Death is not something we like to think about, much less face it. We are fascinated when we see it on the television, hear it on the news, or read about in the newspaper. But when it comes to our own death or that of people close to us, we have problems coping with that. When death is personal, we become very uneasy. I think there are different ways of viewing death, weather it be an event, a mystery, a reward or even a punishment.
As I read the assigned articles, I noticed there are several interesting articles. One that really caught my eyes was that every culture has particular images or objects that serve as reminders of death. We for one, have the flag at half-staff, we send sympathy cards and put tombstones on our beloved. Some people may try to avoid thinking about or even viewing these reminders. Others may see these images and feel uneasy or may simply think about their own death.
In my opinion, I feel death is like a party or a special event. It is marked on an official record the date of birth and date of death. Family and friends all gather around. They comfort each other, while others laugh and joke at the good old times that were shared with that individual. It brings the family together and this is sometimes the only time they may gather with one another. My feelings towards this is, if it wasn't for a family member dying, a lot of relatives would not know one another. It is so sad that people have to wait for something drastic to happen in order to gather with one another. If it weren't for this special event, a lot of family members, wouldn't know who was who.
In today's society we are so convinced that we will live a long life that we let many days simply slip by. We delay fulfillment of dreams or ambitions until the later years, when illness or limited finances may restrict our ability to do what we had planned. In this sense, death has robbed us of the meaning of life. We no longer take each day and use it for everything it is worth.
Death is not something that happens only to one particular age group. Most of us tend not to think about it, because we associate dying with old age. As I have found out, death has no age limit. Death could be anywhere from birth to old age. We never know when death will come our way. Often one person's death seems more acceptable than others do. Usually, the death of an elder is considered natural, while the death of an infant is considered tragedy. Death is experienced differently, depending on the age of the individual.
As I see it, we have to live our lives to the fullest. Don't every put anything off until tomorrow, because we don't know if tomorrow will ever come. I for one am guilty of putting things off, it was not by choice, I had too. (It's a long story and it has to do with my marriage, that's why I'm divorce now). I am now doing, what I truly enjoy, and that is, first of all thanking God for giving me another chance in life, just waking up in the morning is joyful enough for me. Enjoying my three wonderful boys, going to school and making something of myself, and also for enjoying my wonderful mother whom has stood by me all along. Without her I don't think I would have made it this far.
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