Once, I left work as usual and went to catch the bus home. I used to
work in a very nice and pleasant place, but something surprised me: there was a
crowd at the bus stop. On the ground, a person's body, covered with a white
sheet.
It seemed bizarre. If it were today, I would undoubtedly think it was
some influencer filming something or, perhaps, a soap opera. But, as fate would
have it, the bus was late that day, and for more than 30 minutes I stood there
observing the scene.
Death, the end of a person who finished their life in a public space, in
a time without cell phones to call someone…
Life, the energy of the people surrounding them; anyone observing from a
distance - even myself - would think it was some kind of party. And it made me
think about how we look at death, so ugly and frightening, so much fear… Yet,
death is the end of a life fully lived. Perhaps the person didn't have time to
go to college or retire, maybe they couldn't say goodbye or return what the
neighbor had lent them. But it was their complete experience.
We will all leave in the middle of something… we will all leave
something unfinished. But all of us, absolutely all of us, will leave when our
life's journey ends.
That will be the extent of our contribution to others, our city, our
country, the world.
That will be the point of personal enrichment from having been in
contact with so many people, from having lived in such places.
Death is simply a process of conclusion. It is the awarding of a
certificate, the diploma we receive for having lived. Death is, in a way, the
celebration of a life.
Therefore, celebrate your life, and when you depart, you will feel that
it was worthwhile.
