Thoughts on Life and Death

In this field we have the burden and blessing, for it is both, to see the beauty and brevity of life.   My faith teaches that life is a gift and that a life well-lived is truly a beautiful thing that will live on in the memories of our kith and kin.

As with every story, ours will come to an end.  One hopes that it will be a death that befits a life well-lived.  Every new heathen is often drawn to the notion of the warrior's death and being whisked away to Valhalla or Folkvangr to await Ragnarok.  But what of those who do not meet their fate on the field of battle?  What if the battle is one of illness?  What if said battle leaves one with little hope of what would be considered a "good death"?  What happens when strength and vigor leave us?  When slavery to one's ills steals the joys of life away?  What, then, is courage?  Is it more courageous to bear the burden to the ground with a stony demeanor or is it better to face death with courage and honor on your own terms?

I ask these questions without knowing the answers.  I, as you may know, have not died as of the writing of this.  That being the case, this is all mere conjecture on my part.  With that being said, these are my own musings and while I am a heathen, I do not represent all heathenry with these musings.  I say this because my own stance is unique in many ways because I am so close to death.  I see it slowly creep up on long term patients and bit by bit steal that vital spark.  Their families watching as their loved one becomes a shadow of what they once were, physically and/or mentally. In some cases, it comes quick and precise.  Other times it so slow and ponderous it leaves you wondering how a person can endure such things.  It is my job, my duty as an emergency provider to halt death's advance when and where I can, but I am torn at times with what I am prolonging.

To sum up my thoughts, I am going to leave it to the late and great Terry Pratchett:

"It's that much heralded thing, the quality of life, that is important. How you live your life, what you get out of it, what you put into it and what you leave behind after it. We should aim for a good and rich life well lived and, at the end of it, in the comfort of our own home, in the company of those who love us, have a death worth dying for."