On Death

My mom's half-sister, Aunt Gin-Gin to me, passed suddenly early Sunday morning due to a heart attack. Her husband of 50 years (they met when she was 7 years old) passed 5 years ago, and they say she was never quite the same after. I have only the fondest of memories of her, and in spending time at the viewing, that's all anyone had to say. She will be missed. But this got me thinking about Death again. I came up with the following, although I think it probably needs some refining or editing. I hope my point comes across.

On Death
Our culture is permeated with a fear of death. Yet it's a natural part of the cycle. It's even a required part of the cycle. The fear of ones own death usually hides behind their mundane daily thoughts and activities. With the death of a loved one, that fear comes rushing to the top, clouds out everything else, and we mourn. This is literally a form of personal suffering. There is a hole that person leaves behind, and it's natural to desire to fill that hole. They have already moved on, so this is a challenge only for the living. Yet when you're suffering, you're not living. The Second Noble Truth of Buddhism tells us that desire is the cause of suffering. What is that root desire in this case? The desire to re-live past times that you hold in your memory. The desire to enjoy future events with a person no longer with us. These desires cannot be satiated, and so we suffer. But it doesn't have to be that way. You're living, here and now. Let those positive memories flow through you, revel that you were able to enjoy them, and then let it go. That is the past, you're living here and now. Put down those expectations you had of sharing future birthdays, graduations, weddings. That's all in the future. There will be happy times ahead that will again fade to happy memories. But to enjoy them, you need to be living, here and now. Worrying about the future doesn't change the future. Let that desire flow through you, and flow away. You're loved one may have left you for now, and that's sad. But don't let it stop you from living and enjoying the present moment with your fellow souls still here. To do that, you have to let go of the fear of the cycle. No one ever contemplates the time before your own birth with fear, and so the time after your own death need not be feared either. Everyone's life is just a series of present moments, and that's where true happiness exists, in the here and now. Memories of the past have guided you to the present moment, don't waste it worrying about future moments. So share the stories. And share the memories. And know that we'll all travel to the future together, and we will all find happiness there too. Share the love, and the light, of the living in celebration, not in mourning. Be here now.