Fearing It

Death: There's nothing bad about it at all except the thing that comes before it -- the fear of it.

~ Seneca, Letters from a Stoic ~

Why do most people fear death?

The answer is apparent. We don't know what it entails. We don't know if it's pleasurable, painful or a complete void. We don't if we will be conscious of it. We don't know if our essence (soul, spirit) goes some place or if it ceases to exist altogether. We don't know if we will see past friends and loved ones. We simply don't know what we don't know.

Most people who are fully alive don't want the party to end. The people who are on top of the heap don't want to fall to the bottom. The people who are on the bottom don't want to wind up there again.

Few people like the idea of turning a corner to end up in a blind alley. Few people like the idea of crossing a bridge that may buckle at any moment.

It's natural to be fearful, anxious or bewildered when coming face to face with the ultimate unknown.

But regardless of how we each feel about it, one day all of us will stand on the precipice. We will take the fateful step and then.............