How To Prepare For Life’s End

Befriending Death and Living An Authentic Existence

Nino Padilla
The Labyrinth

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Photo by Rohit Tandon on Unsplash

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began, I found myself contemplating my own death. The pandemic took us all by surprise and wreaked havoc on our lives. In the past year, I wasn’t so afraid of it. Yes, infections rose day by day, but recovery rates are far higher than death tolls. Moreover, I’m relieved my loved ones are obedient in following health and safety protocols.

It wasn’t until this time of this year that I was shaken by its destructive effects. A new strain of the coronavirus has mutated, and it is more contagious and deadly. In addition, the number of cases reported on the daily news ceased to be numbers for me. They weren’t merely numbers anymore. Some of my friends and family contracted the virus.

I didn’t know what to do.

Once we’re born, death is attached to our existence. As we get older, the chances of dying increase and become more apparent. Though aware our time is limited, talking about death still makes us uncomfortable.

“The life which philosopher’s truly desire is death.”

I encountered this saying several times already. But whenever I hear it, I’m still moved by it. It sounds morbid. But when I learned what it meant, I felt a sense of freedom.

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Nino Padilla
The Labyrinth

I grapple with life's most important questions to learn how to live.