Understanding Death Leads to Appreciation of Life
The older we get, the closer we are to the moment of death. The certainty of death is one of the few things all human beings have in common, and yet the topic is considered taboo in polite society. We see death in the news every day, but we don’t talk about our own death or the death of our loved ones – at least not until it happens. Even then, we avoid the words “death” or “died” by saying that someone has “passed away.” If someone has “passed” it means they have gone from one place to another. To say that someone passed “away” implies that they went out of existence. Many people do believe that they will no longer exist after death. I can understand how they would avoid thinking about their non-existence as long as there are other things to think about. Other reasons to avoid talk of death may be: (1) it’s considered to be a morbid subject, (2) we don’t want to make others feel uncomfortable, and (3) there is too much disagreement about what happens to us after