Preparing to Die

I recall watching the last episode of CSI Las Vegas Season 6, with the statement of Grissom to the effect that he prefers having a cancer because he could prepare for his death and he could say goodbye to his loved ones. In contrast, of course, is the view that death should be more like a thief who sneaks in the middle of the night, in which case, you do away with the agony of watching your days run out.

For a moment, I tried to think of my own preference. However, the more I tried to decide on which outlook I prefer, the more I realized that the choices are misleading.

One does not prepare for death; one accepts the fact that death comes to us all.

This reminds me of another all-time favorite series of mine – Band of Brothers. In a scene with Private Blithe (confessed that after the D-Day jump, he did not come out to fight; he hid in a ditch), Lt. Ronald Spiers said, “They just don’t see how simple it is”. When prompted by Blithe, Lt. Spiers explained:

“We’re all scared. You hid in that ditch because you think there is still hope. But Blithe, the only hope you have is to accept the fact that you are already dead. And the sooner you accept that, the sooner you will be able to function as a soldier is supposed to function. Without mercy. Without compassion. Without remorse. All war depends on it.”

When I said one does not “prepare” for death, I didn’t use it in a sense that’s debunked by the high sales of life insurance and burial pre-need plans. It simply means that the unnecessary fear and preoccupation with death spells the difference between “living” and “existing”. The focus is not how you die, but how you lived your life.

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