Whether we acknowledge it or not every one of us, rich or poor, are moving in the same inevitable direction. We will die. We in the west like to believe that we are rational creatures and yet on the one hand we know intellectually that we must eventually die yet we live in denial most of our lives.
As we age, sometimes referred to as the third act, we are invited to begin to admit to ourselves we are approaching that final experience. By imagining and by sharing with others, in death cafés for instance, we can become comfortable the idea of our life’s end. Our common humanity can be a strength and support, we don’t have to approach the idea of death alone, most of us are afraid of dying and we can begin this part of journey by making a friend of our fear.
For more information on aspects of our mortality check out the the following links:
The Guardian: Illness and death are facts of life – Buddhism teaches us to be mindful but not fearful of it
The Inquisitive Mind: Dealing with death in later life.
Time: Accepting your mortality: how to become less afraid of death.
Lifehacker: "You're going to die here's how to deal with it."
Ronya Banks: "Death and Dying" a buddhist perspective.
Buddhaweekly: Learning how to die.
Dying Matters: "help people talk more openly about dying, death and bereavement, and to make plans for the end of life."