Death is inevitable
All that you now see will swiftly pass away, and those who have watched it passing will swiftly pass away in their turn – Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 9.33
Death brings to mind a sense of grief and loss. I have had family and friends die in various ways (like most people). Some lived long lives, some not so long; some lived lives of virtue, some did not. When I think of my death I have an ambivalence - on the one hand, I know it is inevitable and cannot be stopped, on the other hand, I am afraid of the unknown. I have learned that no matter how or when I die it will be an end to pain, suffering, responsibilities, etc. There will be nothing, or whatever is there; either way it’s an end to me.
When I was younger I used to dream about being immortal, like the Anne Rice vampires. I could live forever and see all things, civilizations rise and fall. Immortality, I learned, would bring problems, the loss of everyone you know, boredom with the monotony of life, a never-ending cycle of pain and suffering, desire and loss.
Thinking about death and its inevitability brings the present moment into a more imperative light, memento mori - remember you will die. It isn’t some morbid aphorism, it is a reminder to make the most of your short life.
“It is not that we have a short time to live, but that we waste a lot of it. Life is long enough, and a sufficiently generous amount has been given to us for the highest achievements if it were all well invested. But when it is wasted in heedless luxury and spent on no good activity, we are forced at last by death’s final constraint to realize that it has passed away before we knew it was passing. So it is: we are not given a short life but we make it short, and we are not ill-supplied but wasteful of it… Life is long if you know how to use it.”
―Seneca, On the Shortness of Life
Time is fleeting - tempus fugit - and we need to pay attention - prosoché. So prepare for your death, it’s right around the corner. Tell that special person you love them, hug someone, remind someone you’re proud of them, and make amends.
How do you view death? Are you afraid of it? Why? Have you ever thought about it? Let me know in the comments.
