Among Us

I received an email today that had a short phrase in it that caught my attention. It said something to the effect of life is about loving those close to you and enjoying them while they are among us. The last part of that phrase made me stop and think. Among us - I guess that is what living here on Earth really is, our time among the people here. I have thought often of death and what that experience is. I have tried to understand it and embrace the fact that death is as much a part of the cycle of life as breathing and growing are. Yet, it is hard for me. The finality of death, the loss and pain that it can bring, and the realization that this world will one day give way to another are difficult things to fully grasp. Knowing that one day I may be separated from the one I love is not a pleasant thought. Knowing that my time on this earth will end is not necessarily comforting. I have thought about it in many different ways and reasoned that when the times come for me to cross that bridge, I will be prepared to do so. I have even tried to imagine what it would be like to no longer be a part of my body but to still be living. It is hard to imagine, and because it is, that makes it unpleasant to deal with. We do not like what we cannot understand, what we cannot fully know. I guess that's why the fear of death is something shared by so many. Yet, death is not really final. It is final on this earth, but not in eternity. So, I guess the phrase "among us" is really an accurate one. It embodies the finality and eternity of our lives all in one. An interesting thought.