Musings of Death, the World, and the Purpose of Life

Note: This is not Wizard101 related and deals with death. 

Well the past few days have been quite sudden and startling. Sometimes, one jolt can shake your view of life, death, and everything else. 

My friend's uncle passed away early this morning, having battled cancer for awhile. Myself, having experienced a similar happening, understood exactly how she felt. 

My own relative did die but it was a while ago and the wound has since then healed.  

It's really gotten me thinking. 

One thing I've noticed is that unless you have gone through something like this firsthand, it's hard to offer comfort and sympathy to someone else who is. 

Who really knows what lies behind the curtain? A burning hell or an eternal heaven? Or do you simply hang in limbo, strolling aimlessly forever? 

And by nature, we fear the unknown. We fear the dark because our sight is useless. We fear change-there are many examples of that in our society-a new technology, a new treatment. We fear death because there is simply no way to ready yourself for such a vast, mysterious experience.

Also, I've been thinking about this: what are we living for? Our lives are but a swift flash in the progression of time. We spend nearly a century achieving our goals, hopes, and dreams just to lose them to death. What's the point of even existing?

Sure, some people have made brilliant discoveries that have revolutionalized the world, but what does that matter? Within a few (ten or hundred) thousand years, humans will be gone and their footprints and achievements will be washed away by time. 

Now I realize this sounds like I'm trying to convince peope life isn't worth living for. I'm not. My point is that we choose what we want to do in the 80-odd years we live, but in the vast landscape of the universe, how does it matter?

No, this does not mean I'm going to run off and commit suicide. 

On a less morbid note: Death has always been the biggest cliffhanger in any tale. "And then he died." But what happens next? 

The concept of it is faraway. You can shove it in the closet and ignore the fact. But once it strikes so close to home (as was the case with myself and my friend), the giant unknown presence of it seems all the more real. You realize: you can't hide it in the closet and hope it doesn't get out because sooner or later, it will. And when the greatest mystery of life comes within arm's length of you, it makes you open your eyes and take a step back. 

There's hardly a better wake-up call than it. And though tragic, it really sparks a lot of new ideas too.

Okay. Done with the depressing stuff. Sorry if that was tedious or downright nonsense, I just felt like I needed to get my thoughts into writing. 

I also said I wasn't posting again until January but when life throws you a curveball, adapt right?

Happy almost holidays (just to end this on a happier note)
Jessica.