About Life and Death

My grandmother passed away last week, and naturally, I found myself reflecting on life and death. To be honest, I never really thought about the possibility of her dying. But the truth is, everyone will die one day—we just don’t think about it too much, if at all. It’s like we’re aware of death, but we see it as something far off, both for ourselves and for others, when in reality, it’s one of the only certainties in life.

My family did everything possible to keep my grandmother alive, as many families do when faced with the reality of cancer. However, especially in older patients, cancer treatments don’t always give them more life; they simply delay death. It’s as if we want our loved ones to stay alive, even when they can no longer do the things they once enjoyed. But at the end of the day, everyone will pass away, no matter what.

This truth led me to think about the meaning of life. What is life really about if we’re all going to die one day? Material things don’t truly matter—we leave them all behind when our bodies stop functioning.

So much of my adult life has been focused on my job, finances, and striving to achieve more. I realize now that while these things are important, they must be accompanied by a sense of purpose. What I truly want is to feel safe, happy, and valuable to my community. My work, my relationships, and my way of being are all tools to help me live my best life.

I don’t think I’m truly afraid of death. What I fear more is dying without having lived purposefully or having accomplished something meaningful. I believe more of us should fear not death, which is inevitable, but choosing to live a life that we don’t love.

As Nietzsche said in the concept of the eternal return, every moment of our lives will be repeated eternally. So, is your life worth living over and over again, for eternity?

Those we’ve lost are already gone. Their bodies and souls are at peace. The ones who suffer most are the living. We must continue with our routines without our loved ones and carry the memory of their passing with us.

This is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be a source of agony. I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again, because it’s one of the most important lessons I’ve learned: the only way to be at peace is to accept reality as it is. What does that mean? It means letting go of the expectation that things could’ve been different and embracing both our internal and external realities.

At the end of the day, what truly matters is the love we give and the memories we create. I will take my grandmother’s passing as a reminder to live a life I love and to always carry with me the best parts of her.