“The act of dying is one of the acts of our life; and, so in that, it is enough to make good use of what the moment brings.”
-Marcus Aurelius, Meditations 6.2
Reframing death as an opportunity for building character changes the way I view death. It is true that when we mourn the loss of a loved one, we are mourning that we will no longer get to spend time with that person; in essence, mourning for ourselves. But viewing death as an opportunity to develop one’s character shifts the focus toward a different goal. It is focused on one’s actions in a situation, not the loss of self. It is focused on others, “How can I be there for others?”
This reframing is a way to pay attention - prosoche - to one’s situation and one’s actions in that situation, one’s thoughts and attitude; these are the only things that are truly ours.
How do you view death? How do you respond to the death of a loved one? What is your mourning process? Let me know in the comments.
After a stroke, living with sarcoid and generally living perfectly imperfect I must have come into this life as a cat as so far I have dodged dying 5 times. I am originally from the continent where death is seen as a normal transition and not something to fear or avoid. When someone you know dies, or completes their lifetimes experience I am sad for me yes, however it highlights the importance that individual had in my life experience and what they brought to it. I feel grateful for having met them. Apparently death is far less traumatic for us than birth and as we existed after that, I am sure we can manage.