Personally Understanding Death

Throughout my life, I have not really been faced with any extremely hard deaths. Most deaths in my family were mostly distant relatives and occurred when I was much younger and didn't fully understand. My family was very supportive of any grief I did have and always encouraged me to have a positive outlook on things that happened. I think because of that I've been able to handle death of others and its impact on me seriously but in a more 'life goes on and gets better' type of attitude. I've truly learned to accept that death is a thing that is going to happen no matter what. I've developed an assumption that whatever comes after life is a better than life on Earth.

The first piece of work that comes to mind when I think of something that best represents my current understanding of death is the song Autumn Leaves by Ed Sheeran. (Autumn Leaves - Ed Sheeran). It somewhat portrays the acceptance of death similar to how I've come to accept it. The first part of the song goes "Another day another life/ Passes by just like mine/ It's not complicated," which expresses the simplicity of life and death and how it is a natural occurrence. The lyrics go into more depth later in the song about how in reality the situation is actually a bit more complicated in the human mind in general. In the verse "another love that's gone to waste/ Another light lost from your face/ It's complicated," the song addresses how it is human to grieve and how death, although a natural incidence, can actually affect a person. the song also talks about the value of the deceased's individuality or name. The acknowledgment of the name, or what the Egyptians called the Ren is addressed in two lines of the song: "Do you ever wonder if the stars shine out for you?" and "Is it that it's over or do birds still sing for you?". This raises questions about how the person's name will carry on. I personally agree with the Egyptians' concept of the Ren. People leave a legacy when they pass on and they are never truly 'gone.' To me, this is the most important aspect of death. It's almost as if our presence after our passing is what makes us human.