Short Story

It is inevitable that we will all die it is a fact that everyone must come to terms with. There comes a time in everyone’s life that they must face death; a friend’s tragic accident, a family member’s passing or their own battles with diseases. When faced with the idea of death people will act in different ways some may find it therapeutic to apologize for the negative they have done, some may want to spend time with loved ones to ease the future pain, and others may decide that their life was not what they believed. The story Death Constant Beyond Love tells us about a man named Senator Sanchez who is living a happy life with his wife and five kids. That is until he is told by doctors that he only has a short time to live. Death is

This essay was originally written in February of 1996 for a composition class that I took at a local community college while completing my third and final year of high school. The original text has been edited to correct spelling and grammar. In truth, this essay is more of a collaboration between Betsy and I. She had take the class from the same instructor the year before. Many of the concepts discussed are largely extrapolations and enhancements of ideas she expressed. She got a B+ on her version; I got an A on mine :).

I couldn’t believe it. I had no clue on what I had got myself into. I thought I was in a nightmare. Everything was so much larger than me. I felt like I was this tiny spec on a flower. My life had suddenly flashed before my eyes. I had a feeling that my last breath was about to par take.

I had never given much thought into how I would die. There’s something about being young that causes us to believe we’re invincible. It’s not like dying young is uncommon, it’s just that there’s something extra despairing about a life ending before it had really begun. Over the past 18 years, I’ve never thought twice about my mortality. I mean, it wasn’t anything special to me. I knew that I would eventually die, but eventuallies aren’t always as far as you think. Here I am, only 18 years old, my cold body

end. Every day, countless people quietly pass away after long and painful struggles with terminal

Death is a difficult topic for most people to discuss. Even those in the medical profession, such as doctors and surgeons, have a tough time discussing the prospect of death with patients. In Atul Gawande’s Being Mortal, Gawande delves into what really matters as life comes to an end, new ways of helping the elderly enjoy their waning days, and the role of doctors and medicine in curing diseases and dealing with patients. Sheri Fink, a reporter for the New York Times, reviewed this book on November 6, 2014 for The New York Times Sunday Book Review in “Atul Gawande’s ‘Being Mortal’”. She thinks Being Mortal is a “valuable contribution to the growing literature on aging, death, and dying”, and does a good job of introducing the topic of

“Love you too.” She responded. Then there was a click and phone flashed green again. I put the phone on the nightstand and laid down on the bed and stared at the white ceiling for what it had seemed like forever. I woke up two hours later, startled because I had forgotten where I was at. I heard voices coming from the living and thought to myself “People must already be here.” I get up and I put my favorite ocean blue, fuzzy dress and stumbled out the door and I ran into my mom.

Many people will go through life without ever putting much thought into when or how we will die, some people will die suddenly or quickly while others will experience a slow agonizing death that makes them put their whole life into perspective. The film Wit (Bosanquet et al., 2001) shows Vivian Bearing, a Doctor of Philosophy’s passage.

For many of us death is a thought, a topic that brings up fear and often avoidance. In yet, death is something that each one of us will face during our lives. Even the people that surround us and the people we love will face death also. Death is a part of our everyday lives and the more consciously that we explore it for most people the better that experience become and the less fear that there is surrounding it. Death helps us to define more fully how we want to live and as we learn about death in our own thoughts and feeling about it. It often helps shape how each of us lives today and the choices that we made of our own dying. Throughout this paper, we will discuss how death and dying occur, how it affects Religion and Belief,

“I’m gonna to call them now,” you said as you pulled your phone out of your jeans pocket. Dean watched as you scrolled through your contacts. You selected you mother’s number, and put the phone up to your ear. It rang three times, than your mother picked up the phone.

As a young healthy person living in a medically advanced world, death had never been something I’d given much thought, at least regarding what it would really be like. It occurred to me, in that moment, that when I died, that would be it. I would be gone, I would cease to exist. My stream of consciousness would terminate, and the little world that is my mind would disappear forever. This, of course only caused my anxiety to increase, and nearly sent me into a panic attack. I could not comprehend the concept of stopping, of my thoughts, and perceptions simply ending. I could find no comfort in logic, for it was my logic that lead me to this conclusion. This realization caused a shift in my thoughts that bleed into every minute of my waking life. Each day seemed more solemn, and I carried with me a weight that hung heavy on every part of my mind. I spent hours obsessively racking my brain for a way out, an answer that didn’t fill every fiber of my being with electric panic. It was in these frenzied expeditions for comfort that I considered altering my world view to include an explanation of death that could sooth the hurricane that stormed in my mind. Despite myself, however, I could not let fear and panic lead me to dishonesty in my own

“Okay,” I said as mom pulled out her phone. She began to call people, starting with her parents. When she called they picked up almost immediately and my grandmother, with her always sweet voice, started pouring out tons of questions about if we were okay, if our house was okay, and so much more. As soon as we answered that we were all fine and unharmed her voice flooded with relief. We made about twenty more phone calls just that one where all of our family’s voices

So I guess you can imagine my nauseate, terror filled eyes when I woke up one morning to hear a piercing voice. My mother. “Why is my mother up this early” as i stare into the bright light shining from my phone. I usually wouldn't move from the warm bed of mine but my instincts dragged me by my feet to find my mother talking on the phone in an unusual order. Still, in sleep mode, i slowly start catching the

Rudy had a lot to learn about reading. Meredith half listened to his voice at the back of the crowd as she swiped left, left, left. She'd heard him read it so many times she had it memorized. He should be toning it down though. People wanted to co-create the emotional experience.

It was 6:00 p.m. and I had been studying for a few hours to prepare for a test the next day in accounting, and it was time for a break. After walking around idly, getting a drink, and clearing my mind, I headed for the stairs. My study area was in the basement where it was private and quiet. However, my wife distracted me and I lost my balance as I turned; my foot slipped off the top step. Time felt as though it had instantly slowed, and I was airborne. Instinctively, my right arm went up to protect my head and face as I fell backward, and my other arm reached out to stop the rapid descent; but, there was nothing but air to hold.