by Darlene Zagata

Created on: January 11, 2009

People often go through life wondering about existence and where they fit into the scheme of things. They search for their true purpose and the meaning of life. If we sit around pondering the meaning of life it just might pass us by. Life is fleeting. Before we realize it, we have grown older and hopefully wiser.

I've spent a good portion of my life pondering philosophical questions only to find that I am still searching for answers. I've spent more time pondering than living. I don't have the answers but I have learned that life is meant to be lived. We are here to experience and learn. Maybe we take simple answers and make them complicated.

During life we make attachments. We have family and friends. We fall in love and we learn to care about others. Life can be difficult but letting go can be even more difficult. Losing someone through death can be devastating. Deep down inside, we know that death is inevitable but we go on living trying to push that knowledge to the back of our minds and not deal with it.

It is normal to fear death because it is the dissolution of the physical body. We worry about what will happen to those we love when we're gone. We won't be around to protect them or care for them any longer. Perhaps it is the ego talking but many of us fear being forgotten. I will admit that I fear death and the reason is that I am afraid there might not be anything beyond this physical existence.

I do believe that there is life beyond death but at times I succumb to doubt and that is where my ultimate fear lies. To be perfectly honest, I want to believe that there is an afterlife. No one wants to go through a life of hardship, tragedy, rejection and negativity only to find that there is nothing beyond. I need to believe that there is a place of love, happiness and peace. I need to believe that all the suffering that occurs is this world is worth it. I need to believe that there is something more than this existence.

Perhaps this existence is just a stepping stone to the next. Hopefully, it is preparation for something bigger and better. I refuse to believe that all that we are and all that we've done fades away into nothingness. I believe that life and death are part of a continuous cycle of renewal and rebirth. Throughout life, we are constantly changing. Our physical bodies change. We change mentally, emotionally and spiritually. We grow and learn. Death could simply be part of that process. After all, we are energy and energy changes form yet still continues to exist.

Learn more about this author, Darlene Zagata.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.