Beyond the Grave
With each passing second, I am closer to my grave.
And so are you.
I was thinking the other day that I don’t want to die. Not really. Even in the darkest of the nights, when I don’t think this life is worth living: deep, deep inside, I would like to stay in this world.
And not because I want to make a change, or leave behind a legacy. Nothing so romantic.
I am simply scared of what is beyond this darkness.
I am scared of what I’ll find, of what I won’t find.
I am scared of the nothingness, of my non-existence.
I am scared of what I cannot comprehend, of this world my mind cannot grasp.
Search within yourself, and you might find that you are too.
We are all taught to fear death, to shrink away from the grave, to mourn when it claims one of us and rejoice for another day we are granted.
We live in constant fear of this unknown, driven by this burning desire to maximize each second we are free from its clutches.
We label those who crave death ‘insane’. We shun those who experience this desire we can’t understand. People are but victims of our inability to comprehend them.
So, what if.
What if they are right and we are wrong? What if life is just the path to a much more glorious destination? What if they were the ones who were enlightened, who had discovered this truth? What if we did not flinch away from death but embraced it, welcomed it even?
Would it change our lives, would it have any impact at all? Would we be happier, more peaceful if we learnt to accept this inevitable outcome?
Place your palm on your chest and listen to the beat of your heart. Right now, your clock is ticking. Each thump takes you closer to your grave. One day, you will lie beneath the Earth, your last breath murmured out from your parted lips, your eyes fated never to see the light of life again. You will be forgotten, you legacy scattered into the air, forever lost. The people you love will blame you for leaving them behind and you will be powerless to piece together their broken hearts.
Does your heart pound faster just thinking about this? Is your pulse rocketing, your lips tightened in a grim line with obvious displeasure?
We don’t want to think about this inevitable outcome, we prefer not to acknowledge it. It is the ever present ghost shadowing our happiness. But it doesn’t have to be so.
Death is not the enemy. Death is necessary, to keep checks on our dreams and allow us to make the most of our lives. Death gives us perspective; its darkness is in perfect contradiction to the light of our lives. Death is no less sacred than life and it is a crime to treat it so.
I dream of a society where we can embrace this end, where it is acceptable to speak of our demise with smiles playing on our lips. Where death is no longer morose or grim, but the happy ending to a happy life.
I said it before and I will say it again:
Death is not the enemy.
Embrace its darkness and you’ll find the fruit of life all the more sweeter for it.