Is there such a thing as a good death?

Death is an inevitability that we all need to face at one point or another. Whether we lose a loved one, a friend or must face our own mortality. Sometimes death is seen as a blessing, sometimes death is seen as a cause for celebration, sometimes death is seen as a stepping stone to something else, most of the time death is a cause for great sadness, and all of the time death marks the end of a life.

Death is something we all must face, so the question on my mind is, is there such a thing as a good death?

What would count as a good death anyway? In the past, warriors like Vikings and Greek soldiers saw dying in the throes of battle as a good death. In some religions, dying in the service of the God you worship is seen as a good death. Some cultures, like the Aztecs, saw human sacrifice as a good death. Some people want to die while surrounded with the riches they have obtained. In some cultures, dying while being surrounded by the ones that love you is seen as a good death.

In short, a lot of different people have a lot of different ideas of what it means to have a good death. What about you? What would you consider a good death? One of the situations mentioned above? Or something else altogether?

Personally, while I respect how someone might die well, I don’t give it as much importance as most people would. Before you start hurling your insults, just hear me out.

I feel that while we are here, how we die is not as important as how we live our lives. Death is but a moment, our lives are longer and it is from there that people will remember us. People remember Mother Teresa for the good she did for those less fortunate, not how she died. People remember Hitler for the atrocities he committed in life, not how he died. I remember my grandparents for how they used to make me smile, not how they died.

Were the people who died perfect? No, no one is, but we remember them for how they lived and what they did while they were alive.

Am I right in my thinking? Maybe yes, maybe no, whatever the case, the message I want to pass on is that instead of pouring our attention on death, we should focus on how we live, that is what affects us and those around us the most. We can do much while we are alive, so let us do what we can.

That’s it for this post. I hope you like it and I hope you have a good day ahead.