Haunted by deadly ghosts

From reminiscing on the death of his great friend, the author takes the reader on a journey about death and, in his own words, the experience of being “haunted by deadly ghosts.” He questions whether, although we must accept death, it can be overcome by the act of remembrance. Shared memories are important—and perhaps the connections we make over the course of our lives could be what life is fundamentally about. Yet, there will also come the time when we have to accept the existential burden that all humans must bear—our “gift” of being aware of our own mortality. And this death anxiety—that may be tempered by considering that death, as in Nature, is a transitional stage, or even by religion—affects us all, however much we try to block it out; creeping up furtively, and showing its face in many guises like an ever-present stealth motivator. In conclusion, we are reminded that, although death seems so terribly final, life is full of possibilities. Fearing death means losing out on the joys of life. Consequently, all of us should have something to die for—we are one small part of a greater whole and should act accordingly.