From The Editor's Computer
“Do not grieve over the inevitable.”
- Author Unknown
What is the most inevitable thing in our
world?
Death.
Grief is a part of all endings, even good
ones, however society seems to have gone to the extreme by making death
something unwanted or unusual, instead of the completely natural transition
that it is.
There is no rhyme or reason, in human terms,
when or why or how anyone dies. I can
say this with certainty though, when it is your time to leave your body…it is your
time and nothing will stop or prevent that transition from
happening.
An oft repeated phrase is that it isn’t fair
the person died. Really?
Death is the only truly fair thing in
this entire world. It doesn’t matter who
you are, what you own, what you do, or even what you believe, death happens to everyone.
By saying, and acting, like death shouldn’t
happen, society has actually devalued life.
Just as a frame gives value to a painting by defining its borders, birth
and death define the borders of our lives.
Life is a journey, and like any journey we
undertake, we get into a vehicle at Point A (birth) and then travel (life) to
Point B (death) where we get out of the vehicle. Some journeys are quick treks around the
block, while others are long, epic ones.
Some start out with the idea it will be a long journey but the
unexpected occurs cutting it short.
Others seem as if they will barely start and end up lasting a long
time.
By focussing so intently on a person’s death
(especially if it has been considered a traumatic one), we also devalue the
individual who died and their impact on the world and people around them.
So, I personally refuse to attend funerals,
memorials, or even “celebration of life” gatherings. Instead, in my own private and personal way,
I thank the person for what they brought to my life and wish them all the best
as their soul transitions to the next stage.
While they no longer have skin on, they are
still as close as our hearts and our dreams, and those memories never die.
Beth
Read the complete issue of The Chautauqua here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EN2KMyHCFBVAmwogsC3eUKDKlXOEgJaE/view?usp=sharing
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