Death

\"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference.
The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference.
The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference.
And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference.\"
-Elie Wiesel

Tonight another to me entrusted elderly person died. This is not uncommon, I´ve actually lost count. But none of the Deaths are ever the same. Each death has a different story to tell: one of fear, one of relief, one of peace, one of anger... . And each story of Death becomes one of life for me to carry until I have the chance to tell my story.

As most of you know I do the same job as Hans and also see all of the things he does. I have yet to experience death but do have several people headed in that direction. I hope to one day be able to whitness such a release from this life knowing that the next is far better and more glorious than this one.

death is an illusion created by our eyes. they decive us to think somone is gone when they never really are.

one of my best friends died (the first half my jedi name- greg) and i miss seing him but i am comforted by the fact he never truly left. he exists in my heart, in the force, and in every moment i live on to tell of him. Tell us the stories you have and your lost ones will live on in us as well as you.

we are here to help with all our love and support.

Death is not the end, merely the first stepping stone in the second stage of our journey.

Death is just an illusion because the human brain isn't capable of understanding what is happenig to a person when it's body vanishes. Although the beloved person isn't present anymore in blood and flesh it's soul lives on in the Force and therefore shall never be gone. You could say it just stepped onto a higher form of existence which is not accesible to us. Nevertheless the awareness of the consistency remains.

That is why we shouldn't be sad because of those who vanished for we will be united with them once more in the Force.

I had to work my way through college - and I was a Nurse Assistant in an elder hostel (nursing home) for 4 years during that time.

I have watched many elderly - and a few young people through death. For those that died slowly I always felt there was a sense of soul seperating from body...? You can only try to make them comfortable, and not let them alone for very long.

Once gone you know \"something\" has departed from their body, and all that is left is the husk of a life.

I think society lost something when dying became the province of hospitals and nursing homes...and death became frightening and an ordeal rather than a natural part of life?

I would that every person of one and twenty have the experience of working for the sick/elderly... It did so much for me!!!

I do not want to die anytime soon...lol...I am healthy and love living and hope I give back to what we are trying to do here as humans. But I do not fear it...

I am sorry for your loss Jon - I do remember it well though it has been over twenty years ago for me.

-Asta Sophi

I was a firefighter and an Incident command officer dealing with a high volume highway (401) with about 70 % of our callouts being vehicle extrications. I to have lost count, and my experiences with death differ slightly, maybe it is the nature of the environment. A typical accident is at best described as organised choas, with the many things going on at the scene and my preoccupation with the physical circumstances of rescue operations, it is rare that I have the time to understand a patients experience at the time of passing. It is interesting to note that for the most part those who have been conscious have been calm. Some have been a little angry but still calm if that makes any sense. Maybe I have just been fortunate and not had the experience (and memoriesof anyone who went out kicking and screaming. I look forward to reading the experiences of our law enforcement and military members on this.

My personal views on this subject have been posted in the forums many times so I won't go into it yet again here, but I will say that I agree with everyone's comments, it is a topic that we don't understand and we may not have the capacity to understand. But I do know that in time we all shall know the truth, so until then brothers and sisters, live well.

MTFBWUA

Bshp. Lenny O.C.P.
Master Jedi

I have seen some go quietly back to the Force and I have seen some fight it the whole way as if sheer will alone would stop their bodies from failing. I've heard them beg and I've heard them console those being left. I have also seen some just, disappear. It has been such a wide range of departings it's almost overwhelming when thought about. Some have a thoughtless expression, while some look as if they are seeing an old friend for the first time in years. Then there are those that just have the look of fear. During my 8 1/2 years as a military policeman and K9 handler, I have seen more than my fair share of people dying. For some of my troops, seeing it has been tramatic for them and they use to always ask how I could seem so indifferent about a person's passing. My response of, \"They have only returned to where they came from\" would leave them puzzled. I'd grieve in my own way if it was someone I have been close to, but not for long. Yes, their passing is not what we would want, but death is a natural part of life. From the time we are born, we start down the path to death. Only the Force knows when that will be, when we arrive at the final momments of our lives. I heard a quote that I really like, but can't remember where it came from. \"Death smiles at us all. All one can do is smile back.\"

For those of you who are members or indeed the general public, you should not fear death. My reasoning for this is because: 1. death is as natural as life and 2. you will never truly die, you will always be a part of the force. (Energy can never be destroyed, just converted), in other words your life force will never be destroyed it can't, you will live on in the force, and forever a part of life.

I have been pondering as to why people fear death. Obviously there are many reasons, but one which struck me first is the loss of relationships. Unless we are anchored deep in faith, and even if the departed continue in the Force, these relationships will never be the same.