I have to say death is one of my biggest fears in life. The fact that something as valuable as life can just be taken in a split second is unsettling. The only real experience I've had with death has been my grandmother's and my uncle's deaths. The weariness that death brought to me left my mind too uncomfortable to sleep without the light on. However, I think there are several reasons why death is unsettling to me, and these reasons taught me a lot about my self as well.

First off, I think humans have an inherent fear of the unfamiliar and the unknown. While death is the only guarantee we have in life, what happens after death and what dying feels like will never truly be known. And I don’t think humans can bear to contemplate the fact that the inevitable is so unknown. Plus, just the sight of death is unsettling to me. We're so used to seeing life within the human body—subtle movements, the warmth of the human touch—that our brains have a hard time recognizing lifelessness within another person.We're so used to being able to have the answers to most things, that the unknown is virtually threatening to us. However, I think embracing the unknown could help ease this anxiety we have around death.

I'll never forget the time I and my dad launched into a discussion about immortality. My dad divulged the notion to me that if humans had the ability to live forever, there could be so much more knowledge one person could acquire. One could become a complete master of the subject they're studying. We could also live to see the world change in ways we wouldn’t think plausible. His excitement for endless life was tantalizing.

I will willingly admit, having forever to completely master something is a concept I find rather intriguing. However, immortality is not a motif I completely admire for several reasons. For one, even though death is unfamiliar and devastating, I think it really does teach us to appreciate life. The ability to have a life is a gift that should always be cherished because of how quickly it can be taken away. Death teaches us to love each other harder, to use our time more wisely and to accept things that are unknown and unfamiliar to us. Death teaches us to take better care of ourselves and others. It teaches us what true loss feels like because a human life is the most indispensable facet out there.

So to any person struggling with the loss of a loved one, the grief in your life will be prominent for a while, however, I guarantee that you will gain a new appreciation for life. To me, learning to appreciate life is a gift almost as great as life itself.