What is death? If we all looked at a dead body and pretended we were pathologists, what would we see while performing the autopsy? Madness, heart attack, breast cancer, deterioration in the joints. The definition of death in the Merriam-Webster Dictionary says that it is "the end of life; the time when something or someone else dies." Although it is associated with sadness, funerals, visitation services, crying, mourning; death is a good thing.
It is good because the person, animal, mother, father, child, brother, sister, pet, grandparent, etc. is no longer suffering, whether the death was intentional or not. Whether or not you believe in an afterlife is a completely different story, but the life that we live matters in this world whether a death is intentional or not. It does. Death, however is inevitable, and you cannot stop its timing even if you beg or pray that it does not happen just yet. But isn't it selfish of us to wish someone lived a little bit longer than they should, that they were on life support for just a little bit longer? As creatures in this world, we must always accept the forthcoming of the end of someone or something's life, and give them the wishes they desire in the end. If you see the glassy resemblance of death in your loved ones eyes, please let them go. Do not let them fight any longer than they have to. I know it is hard, but I would rather be set free from the bounds of this world than to keep being miserable.
I rescued a tuxedo cat around the Fourth of July and a week later I was worried about him dying. Although the little guy was four months old at the time and perfectly healthy, I still worried about what life would be like without him. And I literally just got him. I have accepted that life is limited, and my personal beliefs are if God says it is your time to be with Him, then take no more chances and run to Him with your guardian angel. Our life is also limitless in that we have all the time in the world to do what we choose, such as going to a movie, relocating with your job, writing this article in The Odyssey. Also letting your tuxedo cat sleep on you while you are writing about Death, how ironic.
Five years ago my grandmother died, and she absolutely hated the idea of being put on the ventilator. So to honor that, my mother made it her mission to tell the doctors and nurses about her wishes to not extend her life longer than was needed. Watching my "nanny" slowly deteriorate from this world was one of the hardest things I have ever had to experience, but I came to the conclusion after she died that I did not want to not know I was not in this world the last few months of my life. I am very grateful of the times we spent together, and I hope I make her proud everyday, but I absolutely cannot stand a slow death. Why keep living if you are miserable? As I wept bitterly everyday for three months after her death, I had a peace in my heart that she was no longer suffering, no longer needing to go to the doctor, no longer being stuck with intravenous fluids in the hospital.
Death is patient. Death is kind. Although it truly is a saddening part of life, we must all join together and celebrate the lives our loved ones had, whether we want to or not. They would do the same for us, and that would be what our loved ones would want also.
