Experiences with death and dying
Reflect on your experiences with death and dying. This could be during the death and dying of a loved one, or something you saw or read about in a work of fiction.
Discuss your thoughts on death.
How does this topic make you feel?
Why?
Reflect on the major changes that occur in the weeks, days, and hours leading up to death.
Describe the dying person’s most difficult experience.
What was the most difficult experience for you or one or more of the dying person’s loved ones watching the process of death?
Using an external source and your own experience (if you have had one), offer advice on how to help a dying person experience death.
Sample Solution
Death is an inevitable part of life. We all must face death one day, and it can be a difficult concept to grapple with. It can be hard to accept that life will end one day, particularly when it feels like there are still so many things left unaccomplished or unsaid. Death often brings up feelings of sadness and despair, as we imagine what could have been had our loved ones been in our lives just a little bit longer (Breitbart & Rosenfeld, 2019).
When thinking about death I find myself feeling overwhelmed by the pain and grief of loss that accompanies this event. Death is a reminder that life is finite, which can make us realize how vulnerable we all really are when faced with its finality (Mayer et al., 2021). This realization can bring up feelings of fear and uncertainty as we question how to best live our lives if something so unpredictable could happen at any moment.
At times I also feel liberated when contemplating death because it encourages me to appreciate each moment in my journey more fully. Knowing life’s fragility motivates me to try new things, take risks and express my love more openly while I still have the chance (Pham & Moserlian-Gebhard 2018). When I think about living out each day with purpose rather than dwelling on mortality itself, the idea of death becomes less daunting.
Ultimately, death has the ability to remind us not only of our own mortality but also of the importance of cherishing moments with friends and family while they last; helping others in need who may not get another chance; pursuing meaningful goals without hesitation; and letting go graciously once life’s path comes full circle (Sharma et al., 2020). In recognizing these lessons through thoughts on death, I am able to adjust my perspective from feeling fearful towards one that sees hope in embracing whatever lies ahead – both for us individually as well as collectively within society overall.
