by Larry Gonzalez

Created on: March 06, 2010

Like everything in our lives dealing with death is subjective. Is it traumatic? Devastating? Just one of those things that happen? Depending on who you ask, the answer will change from person to person. One thing that is not subjective is that death is so much a part of life. From the moment we are conceived we begin the process that will lead us eventually to the grave. Some die of natural causes and others are taken in many different ways before the normal life cycle is complete.  Aside from the way one dies the attitude towards death can be as different as night and day.

Although death can be a mournful situation some believe it is a time of celebration. The attitude of celebrating death is not about that person's passing but of how much they were loved when they were alive. Remembering how much the deceased changed everyone’s life. How they impacted others and gave of themselves. It is natural to feel sadness when someone close to you dies. You will never be able to sit and talk to them or hold them close but you'll always have those wonderful memories that made them special. Another attitude people have about death is humor. Usually, however, it is the person that is dying that uses humor to alleviate the pain those around them are feeling. It seems odd to me that the person that is dying tries to comfort the living. What does that say about us? If a dying person has accepted their fate and uses humor then we should be honored to glimpse a little of what made them great all their lives.

Throughout history the meaning of death has changed from society to society and region to region. Ancient Egyptians loved life and did the best they could to follow a righteous and harmonious way of existence. Why? Because they believed in the afterlife and, surprisingly, not all would be allowed to return. This is why they chose to live good lives so that they would be chosen to return and live amongst the Gods. Practicing mummification, body preservation, was an art form that allowed an Egyptian to return whole.

The Mayan culture celebrated and respected their dead but the fear of death weighed heavy on them. Women who died at childbirth were thought to ascend into heaven immediately. Sacrifice as well as death by your own hand was also greatly respected and a key into the hereafter. During battle, death was viewed as a noble and sought-after way into immortality.  On the other hand those who were evil and created trouble for its society were destined

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