Comments on What about death? Do you ever speak of it?

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Alf...don't know if you've been keeping up with the story or not...
If so, here's a link to Episode 5 - Revenge of the Helmet of HUH?

posted by Passionflower on June 10, 2005 at 3:40 PM | link to this | reply

I talk about death a lot
but thats because we have lost so many in our family that we talk about them all the time its a way of keeping their spirit alive....but saying that...I don't like it when my mother talks about herself dying...I rather change the subject...those that have already passed is ok..(if that makes sense)

posted by _Symphony_ on June 6, 2005 at 8:54 AM | link to this | reply

I discuss it, but I don't dwell on it. It's a fact of life, just like
sex, and ought to be approached as such.  Although I'm guessing that sex is more fun...

posted by Renigade on June 4, 2005 at 9:37 PM | link to this | reply

Sometimes I think I'm morbidly fascinated with death.
I think it's healthy to talk about it. It will all happen to us eventually, so it's wise to be prepared. At my son's age - nearly 4 - he has already been exposed to death. I try to explain it to him as best I can and I believe that he does understand as well as he can at his age. I hope that he will in turn think of it as a natural sequence of events.

posted by word.smith on June 4, 2005 at 9:35 PM | link to this | reply

death... and a side of fries
Honestly, death's fine. I am in no hurry to hasten the process, but it's going to come when it's going to. Having spent some quality time with it in the past, which was rather quite harrowing at the time, years on I've come to the conclusion that it is indeed nothing to overly worry over. If you concentrate too much on it as a focus in your life, you stop living your life, don't experience it fully or with any zest. That's about like death, to me, and it's more expensive than the real thing.

posted by zenresistance on June 3, 2005 at 11:50 PM | link to this | reply

Alf,
I think your perception of death is a very healthy one. Whenever I do a funeral service, I emphasize where the deceased has "gone" and that they have gone back Home. Their soul is still very much alive but just in spirit form now. They no longer have to go to work, pay bills, mow the lawn, pay taxes, etc. They get to just live again in perfect euphoria. They served all the purposes that they set out to serve during this life and therefore, they have earned their ticket back Home. I have had many people come up to me after a funeral service (including religious Christians) telling me my words were more comforting than any other funeral or church sermon they have ever heard. Many have told me they have a newer, more positive outlook on death and the grieving process.

posted by SpitFire70 on June 2, 2005 at 2:43 PM | link to this | reply

Alf - I'm a preacher's kid--we talked about dying all the time! My dad

calls it graduation and expects us to sing and dance at his funeral. He says Mom is to sing "There's Power in the Blood" and if he doesn't rise out of the coffin, we can go ahead and bury him - LOL.

On the other hand, my older sister--who is bi-polar and had schizophernic episodes--has attempted suicide a number of timess--she's obviously not very good at it. So both sides of the coin have been picked apart.

posted by Hollee on June 1, 2005 at 12:39 PM | link to this | reply

Norseman...it's good to see you writing again. We've missed you.

I view death exactly the same way you describe. It's a normal part of the cycle of life on this planet. I've never been fearful and I have spoken to relatives before (still ocassionally do) who have passed over to the other side.

So I know for a fact that there is another plane of existence beyond this earthly plane and I know that THAT world--the world of the spirit---IS the more real world.

 This old world and our lives here feels solid and permanent to us bec we wear these "Earth Suits" or fleshly bodies. But our lives here as viewed from the eyes of God, are no more than a vapor of smoke. Our 80 years here on this planet are over very quickly and we move on, or back to where we came from.

Those are my beliefs on the subject anyway.

posted by Passionflower on May 31, 2005 at 9:08 AM | link to this | reply

A_Norseman
I don't talk about death much because, frankly, there's no need. My family knows how much we love each other and how tremendously saddened we would be to lose each other. There are no loose ends to tie up, no bits of unfinished business. Past transgressions have long been forgiven. We know our time together is limited, so instead of envisioning what life would be like without each other, we enjoy the time we have. We know the bridge is out there somewhere up ahead, but it's one we'll cross when we get to it.  

posted by Talion on May 31, 2005 at 8:02 AM | link to this | reply

Hey, some days,
I look upon it as a long and well-deserved vacation from a lot of BS.

Yeah, it's natural, it's inevitable, and you might as well get used to the idea, even embrace it. Each stage of life is pretty good, no matter what. So why not this one?

On the other hand, I'm not quite ready to take the journey. So I would just as soon keep it on the back burner for awhile, anyway. I'm at that stage of life and spirituality where I have a tendency to believe my worst day here is probably going to be better than my best underground. But who's to say? And why worry?

posted by strat on May 31, 2005 at 5:52 AM | link to this | reply

ALF
Death is a natural part of life. Like you, I have no problem discussing it..

posted by Offy on May 31, 2005 at 5:27 AM | link to this | reply

Yes

life can't exist without death. Death is the great metamorphism.

One of the things that gets me is when people go through a Tarot deck, especially the Major Arcana. When they see the card "death", they immediately assume that it's a terrible fate. But what it represents is change. There's cards that augur worse, like The Devil (violent change).But it's"death" hat seems to scare most people.

posted by L.E.Gant on May 31, 2005 at 3:55 AM | link to this | reply

Most people seem to be scared of death
an avoid talking about it.This leaves loved ones at a loss when they have to arange the funeral.
This is why funeral homes make a killing. excuse the pun

posted by Whacky on May 30, 2005 at 11:19 PM | link to this | reply