'Dear Death…'
You must be wondering why someone would write a letter to death. We never really think about death with a healthy attitude. We are always afraid to talk about it because we have built up a negative image. So yes, you must be thinking, why would someone write about death when there are endless other things to think and write about? The thing is, we have built our perspective towards death through cinema and books. But cinema, books, and even our perspective on death are never positive. We always portray death in black, dark clothing in any form of art. But the thing is, death is the only permanent truth. Death is, was, and will always be an essential and integral part of everyone's life.
Many people believe that talking about death is bad, but how can we neglect it when death is the only constant around us? Everything changes as time moves ahead. It doesn't matter whether the change is positive or negative; change is always difficult. While our bond with family, friends, and ourselves changes, while our physical and mental status keeps changing, there is one thing that is permanent for everyone: 'death!' Death unites us as a species. We are all born and die, which helps us connect with every organism on this planet.
While everyone around us is shifting and moving, and the changing face of death is constant. All of us are afraid of death and think of it as a dark, negative thing. But imagine life without death; no one will try to push themselves towards their goal because they have infinite time; no one can live their life to the fullest because there is no limit; no one will have the motivation to progress. The world will be the saddest thing ever to exist. We work because there is a 'deadline.' We find new routes because there is a 'dead end.' Similarly, we thrive on progress and happiness because of death. I know that not knowing when your life ends is scary. But let's face it: if we already know about it, can we live life to the fullest? No. We will always keep stressing over something we cannot change. Not knowing the time of death helps us put in extra effort in life. Patients in coma, cancer, and severe illness fight with their diseases because they don't know when they are going to die. We push ourselves until our last breath because we don't know that it is our last breath. And because we think of death as something terrible, we do not talk about it.
Maybe that's why when someone has these thoughts of suicide or self-harm, they feel guilty and do not want to talk about it with anyone. The one with suicidal ideations knows that the world will judge them for being attracted to death. But very few will ask, "Why?" and the world will shush them for discussing death. That is the reason people do not want to share their thoughts about death. Hence, we end up knowing about someone's problems after their tragic death. But how do they not understand that 'someone has to be a villain so that life can become a hero!'
Life is going to be tough, and it's ok! That does not mean you have to surrender to a villain that is death. I know it is hard to accept death, and no one can be happy about it. But we can at least try to make it less painful by taking it as the 'ultimate truth!' and who can do it?
Only those who have lived their lives to the fullest are not afraid of death. So, live your life without regrets; live your life to its fullest. So that when death comes to meet you, you can happily say, 'Dear Death, it ends with us!'
-Tatvika Marathe
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