Death close to home brings perspective to living.

Losing someone to a sudden death is shocking and can lead to questioning one's own life.

Living vitally and joyfully is a deliberate daily choice.

Death has a very powerful way of putting living in perspective.

My neighbor died last Thursday evening. Only 30 minutes earlier, he had been blowing leaves in his garden. While he was blowing leaves, masking the bird song, I had to chuckle; it was 8:30 p.m. Blowing leaves always seemed to be his way of settling himself in the evening; I assumed it was part of his bedtime routine. I suppose it’s fitting that he was out there with his blower right before he took the ultimate rest.

Death is decidedly weird. One minute you’re up and living, even living well, as in David’s case, and the next minute you’re gone. For those of us left alive, it’s bizarre. How could life be so fleeting? How is it that the exit can be so fast and........

© Psychology Today