“The final hour, when we cease to exist, does not itself bring death; it merely of itself completes the death-process. We reach death at that moment, but we have been a long time on the way.”
The Roman philosopher Seneca wrote this in his Epistulae ad Lucilium, nearly 2000 years ago, unfortunately only a few people fully realize this in our current day and age. Interestingly enough, this topic was a discussion between me and my father only yesterday. Still living in fear of dying; many have not yet learned that we ought not to fear death as much as we ought to fear an inadequate life, a topic which I touched on over the past seventeen days.
It is true that we marry death at birth. The moment we are conceived, we start the journey with death, as Seneca said. We have to accept this truth. Half a century ago Jean Cocteau said that death “can make herself forgotten and let us believe that she no longer inhabits the house. We assure ourselves that death is an allegorical figure only appearing in the last act.” Even Bob Dylan, in his song "It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)”, touched on this topic when he sings: “He not busy being born is a-busy dying”.
Someone once made the remark that the living is only the dead on holiday. This should be taken to heart. Don’t wait for the moment when death is knocking at your door, to then wake up and realize that you have not lived a complete life. Every single moment you are alive is a step closer to death, so live your life to its fullest capacity; convey as much good and appreciation to everything and everyone you come in touch with. Make this life a worthy one for you and every other living entity.
Don’t fear death but embrace it – for death is inevitable.
At conception, my friend, with death, we tie the knot,
and companions we are from birth,
I know too well this one life is all I’ve got,
so allow me a constructive vacation here on earth.
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