Death

-
44070dart

44070dart

How the hell did I get this old..
Joined
Jul 9, 2004
Messages
2,892
Reaction score
5,046
Location
right here ...see me I'm waving.. NY
Lately I've been thinking about death. Don't know why, I'm 68, reasonably health so my doctor says. I just think about how life goes on as others around us stop living. Guess I'm religious, go to church, believe, pray, it's not that part that concerns me.
It's leaving behind a wife, a happily married daughter that I love, only grandchild, 2 1/2 year old that I adore, she is incredible. Family, friends that I grew up with, and still like me. Some I went to grammar school with. My parents have gone, along with all my aunts and uncles, and some cousins have also passed. We were always a close family so their passing was always difficult.
I found out recently that an old friend passed away. We were very close from high school thru our 30's. We were like brothers, I'm godfather to his only son, and for us that's very special. He then moved to the west coast and over time we lost contact. I loved this guy like a brother. I think about his passing and we never had a chance to say goodbye. I don't dwell on death always, but as I fall asleep I think about how it will be. I'd like to stop and hope this is a passing thing. Any of you dealing with something like this.
 
44070dart said:
Lately I've been thinking about death. Don't know why, I'm 68, reasonably health so my doctor says. I just think about how life goes on as others around us stop living. Guess I'm religious, go to church, believe, pray, it's not that part that concerns me.
It's leaving behind a wife, a happily married daughter that I love, only grandchild, 2 1/2 year old that I adore, she is incredible. Family, friends that I grew up with, and still like me. Some I went to grammar school with. My parents have gone, along with all my aunts and uncles, and some cousins have also passed. We were always a close family so their passing was always difficult.
I found out recently that an old friend passed away. We were very close from high school thru our 30's. We were like brothers, I'm godfather to his only son, and for us that's very special. He then moved to the west coast and over time we lost contact. I loved this guy like a brother. I think about his passing and we never had a chance to say goodbye. I don't dwell on death always, but as I fall asleep I think about how it will be. I'd like to stop and hope this is a passing thing. Any of you dealing with something like this.
Click to expand...

hEY i JUST HAD MY 70TH - It is natural for us to feel loss when we lose some one close to us- I still miss my Dad who died in 1968-esp this weekend- There is life after death for believers- if we had time I could share couple stories- Read the book Heaven is for Real- As far as feelings- google "If Tears could build a Stairway" Spend some time in the Word- give us peace- Hang in there bro...
 
Hard to say for sure, but I think everybody thinks about it from time to time. Spend time with your grandchild if you can. There is no legacy in the world better than knowing you helped teach a young person what was probably much harder for you to learn. Far better to have a single child know you, than to have millions of people worship a statue of you.

Death will come, as it does. Don't dwell on it. There is nothing that can be done about it.
 
I guess I'm going thru the same thoughts as yourself, lately.
I do have some medical issues that can manifest themselves, and take me out, but i don't dwell on my mortality.
Something is going to get me in the long run.
Last week i went to my bank, and got my account squared away in who i want to clean it all out when the time comes.
Now I'm in the process in filling out paperwork with the government VA cemetery administration letting them know i want to be planted in the Dixon, California veterans cemetery when i conk out.
Then all my possessions, the executor of my estate can dispose of everything the way he sees fit.
 
My mom & I have been talking about what she calls her 'end of life plans'.

If something happens to her, settling the details is my responsibility.

She wants that to be as easy as possible for me if her time comes, from adding my name to her bank account & being added to the title for her Subaru.

It is depressing to think about losing her. Dad did what he could to make the details easy on her when his time was up, now she wants to do the same for me.

For anyone with aging parents or grandparents, enjoy spending time with them while you can.
 
For a number of military and day to day life related reasons I suffered with depression for many years. Every so often I even considered death. At rock bottom my daughter caught me with a pistol in mouth and tears in my eyes all alone in the basement. To this day I know if she had not walked in, that would have been my last day.

My wife and daughter convinced me to seek some professional help. As an old Soldier I always though mental help was for the weak. I learned after many sessions it's not about being weak, it's about being sick and needing help and help is available.

Get some help brother. If not for yourself, do it for those who love you. Life is so short and so precious. Enjoy every minute of it. When your time comes, God will call you home. Until then, enjoy this side of life.
 
44070dart said:
Lately I've been thinking about death. Don't know why, I'm 68, reasonably health so my doctor says. I just think about how life goes on as others around us stop living. Guess I'm religious, go to church, believe, pray, it's not that part that concerns me.
It's leaving behind a wife, a happily married daughter that I love, only grandchild, 2 1/2 year old that I adore, she is incredible. Family, friends that I grew up with, and still like me. Some I went to grammar school with. My parents have gone, along with all my aunts and uncles, and some cousins have also passed. We were always a close family so their passing was always difficult.
I found out recently that an old friend passed away. We were very close from high school thru our 30's. We were like brothers, I'm godfather to his only son, and for us that's very special. He then moved to the west coast and over time we lost contact. I loved this guy like a brother. I think about his passing and we never had a chance to say goodbye. I don't dwell on death always, but as I fall asleep I think about how it will be. I'd like to stop and hope this is a passing thing. Any of you dealing with something like this.
Click to expand...

For what it's worth, your thoughts and feelings are normal.
When we have older family member we don't normally think much of it .
It's when we are at the front of the line reality hits.
I wouldn't dwell on it. Like others posted it's inevitably .
It's the one common denominator we all have .
Not money, not race, not religion, not gender, will keep us from avoiding it.
Just enjoy the time you have and make the most of it.
 
I'd probably think a lot more about it if I knew the when of it. Without that key piece of info, all thought is just a circle going round and round. I'm dizzy enough.
 
The key question is;

Where will I die?

Then be smart enough to NEVER go there.
 
At age 70 I believe your feelings are perfectly normal. When we are young, we tend to think we are invincible. Now we know we are not and admit it. Last Sept. I awaited triple heart bypass. I had physical every year and really for what, I had 2 arteries 98% blocked and did not have a clue. I asked God , if it be His will, to let me heal and mend, to be there for my wife as she needs me. If not, I was good with that too.
My parents, aunts, uncles, some cousins have passed. 30% of the kids I graduated HS has passed. It does not scare me, it makes me sad.
For the military people and those that suffer from depression, or any mental problem, let me say this.. My dad went thru 4 yrs of WW11 and 1 in Korea. He got out, and I remember at age 9 him walking the floor all night, night after night, crying out of control, and my mother telling him he had to come out of it, he had a small child to raise. He had to. He was sent to shock treatment for as thy called it, nervous breakdown. I said he had to snap out of it, he could not take that again. He recovered. He raised me. He loved his family. I could ask for nothing more.
My take on life is our Creator simply lets us borrow this world for awhile, and everything in it, be land, cars, money, whatever, family and friends. We can usually stand to lose material things, but friends and family, that is so very hard.
I find strength in my Faith. Without it, I feel I would feel very very weak.
 
Last edited:
Alaskan_TA said:
My mom & I have been talking about what she calls her 'end of life plans'.

If something happens to her, settling the details is my responsibility.

She wants that to be as easy as possible for me if her time comes, from adding my name to her bank account & being added to the title for her Subaru.

It is depressing to think about losing her. Dad did what he could to make the details easy on her when his time was up, now she wants to do the same for me.

For anyone with aging parents or grandparents, enjoy spending time with them while you can.
Click to expand...

Brent Henderson song- Love is Spelled Time
 
Been touched by death and loss too much over the years.

My boys are young. I'll enjoy all the time with them I can. Then, when I day, hopefully they'll be able to etch on my tombstone, "Here lies a good man." If that's what the think of me, then I've done my job of turning them into men.
 
After my heart attack the thought never really leaves my mind.
Lots of work B.S. and stress i figure played a part.
One day as my stress level was climbing, i decided i wasnt goong to die at work and went home.
Next day i cleaned my shop,made room and started working for myself.
Should have done it 15 years ago.
The thought of passing crosses my mind daily.
Yet i put it aside but still i should at least have some preparation in case something does happen.
 
Now that some friends my age have died, all parents and grandparents gone, death is a topic that comes to mind more often than not. I gave the wife and kid a envelope labeled 'death packet', which has my life insurance policy and my burial instructions (I guess I'm worth more dead than alive).

With time, I am becoming more and more curious about what lies before us on the "other side". I always was a curious sort, but this subject of curiosity is a new one on me. Should be interesting when the time comes to find out.

One other thought I have now, is how all living things are somehow "connected", kind of like the underground root system of plants and trees that are all crossing over one another.

roots.jpg
 
JUST turned 70 myself. Called up my 84 year old aunt who sounds like she's 40 and "mock sarcasm" "thanked" her for the birthday card "reminding me I'm an old guy" I try not to dwell, though I've sure lost friends, and my Dad (her brother) only lived to 71
 
I'm 60, and think of it some when I get a reminder of how old I am. Yesterday, I was reading the paper, and was looking at the obituary column. I saw a guys picture that I went to school with from 1st grade until we walked the stage at graduation in early June of 75. He was 1 week younger than me. I hadn't seen him since we graduated, but I remembered him as one heck of a nice guy. He was always a big guy, and by big...I don't mean he was fat. He was just one of those guys who was thick and broad from his shoulders to his ankles. He wasn't anywhere close to the fastest base runner when we played ball on the playground in elementary school, but he could knock a softball into the next county. Although it made me sad to see that he had passed, it lifted my spirits to see that the 60 year old man they described in the obituary was the same nice boy I remembered as a kid. If you're remembered well, you've lived a good life. I really hope people can remember me like I did Christopher Earl Penland. R.I.P. Earl.
 
The last time I thought about death was 1983 in Beirut.
 
I failed to mention at 62 years old I am the oldest living male in my family for three generations. I would not have reached this milestone had God not sent my daughter into that basement in 2002. All things happen in accordance with Gods plan.
 
67Dart273 said:
JUST turned 70 myself. Called up my 84 year old aunt who sounds like she's 40 and "mock sarcasm" "thanked" her for the birthday card "reminding me I'm an old guy" I try not to dwell, though I've sure lost friends, and my Dad (her brother) only lived to 71
Click to expand...

I remember my Aunt Daisy, Daddy's sister constantly telling him as he got closer and closer to 60 that he was gonna die at 60 like his father. She was a mean one. He lived to be 74. Died in late December, 1998. He really wanted to see the year 2000. But he at 60 and I at 20.........I would not have jumped on him with two of me. He was a tough old dude. Seen it in action too. He had zero problem layin it down when he thought somebody was in the wrong. I miss him every single day. I look forward to the day I can shake his hand again.
 
I am just a sojourner in a land not my own. Soon I will be going home. I'm 65 and looking forward to the day my Spirit returns to Him who gave it.
None of my family are on the same page as me, so I'll probably never see them again in the New Kingdom, and that kindof makes me sad. I think about that from time to time, but I don't dwell on it; I put my petition before God, and let Him deal with it.
Like someone else said, enjoy them for the time you have.
 
This is my 71st year, and I admit that I think about passing too. I don't dread it, but not ready to go yet either. Have things set up for wife now. But we are in fair health; so can enjoy travel, racing, cars, and grandkids so all is good. Hope things are good with the Lord when time comes. Look for the good in life and don't let the haters bother you.
 
It is natural to wonder about a topic that we will never understand. People have thought about this since before recorded history. But it’s not healthy to dwell on it.
A little bit of effort on your part can ease the burden & confusion of your passing. By getting your info summarized (bank accounts, insurance policy, auto titles, property info and of course a will) can really save those you care about from a lot of stress.
 
If we know what is coming we can usually prepare for anything.
That's why death can be so scary.
We don't know with certainty and can't prepare.
God holds the cards close to his chest.
 
I will add, I lost my three best friends and a cousin 10-12 years ago, They were all in their late 50's. That is pretty darn young. Life can be relatively short. I knew and went to school with three of them all the way from childhood thru college years. I moved 1000 mi away and saw them occasionally, talked on the phone ever so often. Losing them is something I think of ever so often, as they all hold a place in my life and heart. Makes me ad. But I don't dwell on it.
I say this. When we stop dreaming, we start dying. I ask myself sometimes, should I spend time and $ on my toys ( cars), I figure if I can afford it and when I am gone, my survivors hopefully will find someone to enjoy them as I have. I am glad I don't have any high end cars anymore. Just fun toys for me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
-

Back
Top