The Death Experience
When I was ten years old, my oldest brother Tommy, who suffered from Cerebral Palsy, passed away. It was my first experience with the death of a loved one. I didn't really understand what was happening at the time. I remember being afraid of his lifeless body and wanting to see his smile and hear his laugh again. Not only was this the first death of a loved one, but it was the first death of anyone that I can remember.
Since that time, the experience of death has touched my life in many different ways. I have lost all of my grand-parents, my father and several close and casual friends. Though I feel like I now have a fairly good understanding of what happens when we die, the death experience still provides the most wonder to me.
Only A Comma
I view death as a passing from this life to the next. The idea of continuous improvement appeals to me, and I think that when we leave this frail existence, we move on to a higher sphere of living. We graduate, so to speak, to a new and different existence. One that will allow us to reach new heights of development.
I recently watched a movie called
Wit. The movie portrays the last days of an accomplished woman who is dying of cancer. In the movie, she reflects upon the prominent people and the experiences of her life. One scene flashes back to her graduate school days and a conversation she had with her professor/mentor. She had written her thesis on John Donne's sonnet, titled "Death Be Not Proud". The scene recalls a specific conversation concerning the punctuation used in the poem. The point was made that Donne used a comma and not a period when he spoke of death. I quote from the movie the following passage:
Nothing but a breath — a comma — separates life from life everlasting. It is very simple really. With the original punctuation restored, death is no longer something to act out on a stage, with exclamation points. It's a comma, a pause. This way, the uncompromising way, one learns something from this poem, wouldn't you say? Life, death. Soul, God. Past, present. Not insuperable barriers, not semicolons, just a comma.
I love the thought that death is only a pause in our life and not the end of our life. It is not meant to be feared. Our desire to cling to life makes the death experience fearful for us. I like life. I embrace life every day and I want to be here for a long time to come, but I am not concerned about dying or about those around me dying.
I am sure I will mourn when those I love die, and those I love will mourn when I pass. This is normal behavior. I feel sad now when I leave my family to go on a business trip. When I return, I am happy to be home. Death will be a similar separation. I have the same amount of certainty that we will be reunited in a new life after death.
Easter and Passover
Very soon, two of the world's most popular religions, will celebrate sacred holidays. The doctrinal differences between the two faiths are significant, yet both holidays commemorate a victory over death. It is a great time to draw close to friends who celebrate these holidays and learn about the important symbolism behind them. You may even want to share with them in their celebrations in order to feel the spiritual side of these holidays.
The messages of both of these holidays are very similar. God loved His people enough to deliver them from certain death, making it possible for each of us to transcend the gap from life, to life everlasting. Both of these stories add to my faith and help me see things as they really are. They help me understand that God will deliver me too and that He will deliver you. That is His work and His glory. He wants us to return to live with him someday.
Making Sense of Death
I am sharing with you some thoughts and ideas that help me to make meaning out of the death experience. How do you see it? I am sure you have experienced death in your own life, what has helped you get through that experience? Do you believe that death is only a comma, or do you see it as a period? What do you think you need to do to be prepared for your own death? When we enter this life, there are many who shed tears of joy to welcome us. We leave this life in tears of sorrow. I believe that there will be many waiting for us on the other side who will welcome us again, with tears of joy. What do you think will happen to us?
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Tags: Andrew Thorn, Carpe Articulum, Dreaming, Game of Life, Goal Setting, Inclusion, Leader Behaviors, Life Leadership Harmony, Second Half of Life, The Authentic Me
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on Tuesday, March 31st, 2009 at 9:31 am and is filed under Life Coaching, Relationships, Spirituality.
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