Death

Ahhh the ever unapproachable subject!  Death!  I personally have no problem with this topic and in fact, I enjoy discussion the various philosophies relating to death and whatnot.  I suppose this stems from working in funeral service for a collective three years.  In fact, I'd still be working in funeral service had it not been for the crazy hours and the enormous amount of schooling I'd have to complete.  It's actually how I got into law; I was preparing for mortuary school and I had to take a business law class.  I absolutely fell in love with law!  And now, between my studies and working at a law firm, I love it!  I am right where I need to be! 

But back to the subject at hand.  I bring up this topic because I think it is very relevant in learning how to appreciate and enjoy life to its fullest. 

Awhile ago, while suffering a serious bout of depression, as I'm apt to do, I made an agreement with myself regarding how I was going to live my life.  After I made the agreement, my entire perspective on life changed.  I don't want to go into the details of that agreement, as it's very personal, but when it boils down to it, I agreed to face my death and to embrace it. 

Since then, knowing that the end will come someday, my entire perspective has changed.  I feel like, now, more than ever, I am able to live fully, inside each day, without any reservation.  When I gave myself permission to understand that I will die someday and that while it's not only inevitable, it's perfectly okay.  I have accepted my death. 

In our society, I think a lot of us ignore death, avoid it, try to figure out how to escape it, etc.  I personally think that's why we still embalm the deceased and put them on display; to show they aren't dead but that they are "sleeping."  "Oh look, Grandma looks so peaceful, like she's sleeping."  Well, listen up - she's not sleeping.  You've got a corpse there and without dangerous embalming practices which inflict risk upon the funeral director embalming the deceased, you'd have a health hazard if "left" too long. 

This desire to avoid/ignore death comes from our mostly Christian society (and other religious groups who have higher powers) which explains life in linear terms.  You are born, you live, and then, The End, you die.  (And go to heaven or hell, depending).  In most cases, The End of something is related to negative feelings (although The End of this semester couldn't come fast enough for me...holy buckets!) and therefore, we try to avoid The End.  When we close our eyes to something, we can't see it and like a child, if we can't see it, then it's not there, right? 

I theorize that when you open your eyes to death as a permanent and unavoidable event in your life, you open your eyes up to other things.  You open your eyes and mind to a more rich and fulfilling life.  When death loses its taboo status, a person gains the control of a beautiful life.  The richness of relationships grows, the appreciation of your job and how you conduct yourself, the appreciation of the things like you like and love becomes more important.  Death loses it's control...as you gain your happiness.