"When we learn to die, we learn to live." Steve Jobs
In one of the books written on Mother Teresa, the following passage appears: "Once I had a man taken off the streets. He was near death, but he said: 'I have lived like an animal on the streets, but I am going to die like an angel. I will die smiling. ' He died smiling."
We have a morbid fear of death. It is not welcome at all. We do not even speak of it, because we consider it inauspicious. When it is inevitable, why not learn to face it; lose our fear of it. The more we distance ourselves from it, the more the fear of it grabs us. Isn't it time we came to terms with death? That we taught our children not to be afraid of it? 1) It cannot be escaped. 2) It is a passing from here to the hereafter 3) To those who believe in God, it is our entry into heaven. 4) It is the time to receive our rewards for all the good works we performed on earth - that is a persuasion to perform more good works, by reaching out to others. We live a fuller life, as Steve Job states.
With so much at stake, let us teach ourselves and our children to shed the paralyzing fear of death and view it as a peaceful passage through the gateway to heaven; and accept it with a smile, even as the man in story does.
In one of the books written on Mother Teresa, the following passage appears: "Once I had a man taken off the streets. He was near death, but he said: 'I have lived like an animal on the streets, but I am going to die like an angel. I will die smiling. ' He died smiling."
We have a morbid fear of death. It is not welcome at all. We do not even speak of it, because we consider it inauspicious. When it is inevitable, why not learn to face it; lose our fear of it. The more we distance ourselves from it, the more the fear of it grabs us. Isn't it time we came to terms with death? That we taught our children not to be afraid of it? 1) It cannot be escaped. 2) It is a passing from here to the hereafter 3) To those who believe in God, it is our entry into heaven. 4) It is the time to receive our rewards for all the good works we performed on earth - that is a persuasion to perform more good works, by reaching out to others. We live a fuller life, as Steve Job states.
With so much at stake, let us teach ourselves and our children to shed the paralyzing fear of death and view it as a peaceful passage through the gateway to heaven; and accept it with a smile, even as the man in story does.
