Death

Does death scare me? Of course it does. I think it scares everyone and those who say it doesn't are, more often than not, lying. The unknown is the crux of everything that we fear most and the concept of death and what comes after is something that we'll never fully understand and that is what makes it so terrifying. I had the misfortune of being exposed to death at a very young age. With the death of my father came a few profound realizations. First, the realization that life is incredibly fragile and can be snuffed out in the blink of an eye. That realization both scared and upset me but I eventually came to terms with it and it helped me to truly appreciate every moment of life as if it were my last, because, realistically speaking, each moment has the potential to be just that, my last. The second realization was that death doesn't discriminate. It is random and cares not for how badly anyone may want someone to stay in the world of the living. Death can snatch anyone up anytime and any place. It doesn't care the damage that is being done, nor does it care how it will affect the loved ones of the deceased. Death is inevitable, and it's ok to be scared of it. We're all going to die at some point and I think that that's just something that we will need to come to terms with at some point in our lives. The randomness of death is both a good and bad thing at the same time in my opinion. On one hand, it helps put things into perspective because it teaches us to appreciate every moment of life, but on the other, it is a terrifying and sobering thing to know that our time on this earth is temporary. Obviously death effects more than simply the individual that has deceased. It changes the lives of those around them forever. It's a sad occasion and the mourning period can feel like forever as we are learning to go on with our own lives without the recently departed. It's hard, it really is, but it's a bitter reminder of the fragility of life and how dependent we are on certain people in our lives. Obviously there's no way for me to know when I'm going to die, but I hope that that day wont come for a very long time. However, I also realize that, dark as it may seem, death is something I will need to think about and prepare myself for at some point in my life. It's inevitable, but that just reminds me how much I need to appreciate each breath I take as I live my life, because one day, death will come for us all.