Thoughts on Death

A close friend of mine told me that a sibling of his died a few days ago. This brother was an extremely good person and so young too…too young. I wasn’t close friends with his brother, but I hung out with him a few times and we were both members of the same guild (linkshell) on Final Fantasy XI, back in the day.

I feel for his family and him. It has affected me all day, and I have been having problems sleeping lately, thinking about how swift life can be taken away. I generally never think about it, but this sad affair has brought it to forefront. Is it all worth it, life that is, considering that it can be taken away a fast, so quickly? Will people mourn my passing, when I die?

Strangely enough, the line from Star Trek Generations keeps coming to mind when thinking about death.

PICARD

It's not how many years you've lived, Will, but how you've lived them. (beat) Someone once told me that time is a predator that stalks us all our lives. But maybe time is also a companion who goes with us on our journey, and reminds us to cherish the moments of our lives because they will never come again. (beat) We are, after all, only mortal.

No matter what you believe, these are the truest words I’ve ever read. And, they give me some comfort.