The Third Degree teaches us to consider our own mortality. Death therefore is part of our journey. Here are some comments that Brethren have made about their take on Death.
Thoughts on Mortality
The Third Degree teaches us to consider our own mortality. Death therefore is part of our journey. Here are some comments that Brethren have made about their take on Death.
I had a near death experience. I was on a school trip in France. We were on canoes and I capsized. My helmet got caught on a rock above water and my face under the water. My life flashed before my eyes I vividly remember picturing my home, family and friends. It was terrifying.
I am scared of dying. I’m scared of my parents and grandad dying because I don’t know how I would react. I am a planner. I like to know what’s going on. It’s the fear of the unknown that scares me. You can’t stop death.
I’m not ready to die. There are so many things I’d like to live through and enjoy. It will deeply affect me when my parents and grandparents die. They are the stable people in my life.
My uncle passed away two years ago. He drowned. He went fishing and never came back. When I went to the funeral, I was fearful and scared about seeing his body, but when I saw him, my fear disappeared. The body is only the physical remains. My uncle was already gone. There was a lot of sadness, but a great deal of love too.
It’s sad but not scary. I don’t want to live forever but for a while would be nice. Getting my pension would be nice. I definitely don’t want to go before my time. I don’t have a fear of death, but I do fear cancer. I think the best way to think of death is summed up by Terry Pratchett; If you’ve ever read “Mort’. it has a really wonderful take on philosophy on death. Once I read that, I changed the way I viewed death.
It’s amazing how over the moon I am about my dad dying. He was fine one week and gone the next. Brilliant! The dream would be to go out like my dad, but a decade older than he did.
It’s never frightened me. I’m fascinated by it. If there’s a program on the telly about undertakers I’ll watch it. I don’t understand why we spend so much money on it. I’m one of the people who say ‘just put me in a bin bag’.
I’ve never thought about it. Nobody does when they’re young. I’m closer to it now. I wonder how I will be as a 70 year old man? I don’t want to be old. Selfishly, I want to know how many people would turn up on my funeral.
I want to be in good shape when I go. I want to live long but I want to be walking and talking. I want to conscious. Death doesn’t frighten me. I’m even comfortable that I will probably die on my own. Death is final. I don’t believe you walk up a golden staircase with angels greeting you. We should use the word ‘die’ more and get used to saying the word ‘die’, We should teach children how to bury their parents.
It doesn’t frighten me but what does is being trapped in my body with something like motor neurone disease. I imagine dying would be pretty frightening if you didn’t have a support network for those you leave behind.
We’re all here for a reason and that reason is to make a difference in the world. I’m undecided; do we keep coming back until we get it right, do I come back and go through all again and refine it a bit more? Some people say we’re energy and energy can’t be destroyed therefore we were always exist. That got me thinking; let’s suppose we are watching BBC one but we change to BBC2, does that mean the BBC one has died? No, it’s just on a different frequency and if you knew that frequency could you go back to it. I have an open mind about death. I’d love to think we all catch up again in the next life.
It’s not something that troubles me I suppose because I had a fairly early experience when my dad died when I was 16. I realized death meant it was the end, it was final. I’m more worried about my wife dying I don’t want her to die.
My father died at 82 very suddenly. I was sitting with him just before lunch. He said “can I take my jacket off?” “of course you can”. He took it off and just died. It was a wonderful way to go.
It’s inevitable. I am not frightened. I don’t want it. I am only just getting going. The next 10 years are going to be life changing for me if the lord spares me and if he doesn’t then that’s his choice.
I’m not frightened of death. I’d like to be pottering in my shed one day and just keel over.
It’s giving up and letting go of what we have. I find that very hard. I’m the kind of person who likes to stay up late. I’m a night owl. Even when I get tired, I’m fighting; reading a book or watching a film. I’m never quite ready to go. There’s always a little more to do, to explore, to experience. I know I’ll struggle with that.
I wish I knew when it was going to happen so I could make plans for the rest of my family. The fact that it’s been unkind enough to hide itself date-wise from me is very inconsiderate. My daughter has asked where I want to be buried but I really don’t care. I don’t have a romantic image. When it happens it happens. On my headstone it could say “He did the best he could”.
With the greatest optimism in the world I haven’t got that long. They worry more about my wife than me. If anything happened to me what would happen to her? I think we are given a certain amount of time and then you’re gone.