Nothing lasts forever

Life is a funny thing. It comes, and then it goes. You can't control it. No one knows when it will come, and no one knows when it will end. And that is the beauty of it. The element of surprise.

If a teacher gives you an assignment, and tells you that it's due in two weeks, then you know that from now until then, you can space it out, give yourself time, be organized, and you will get it done.

If you are on a debate team, and they do not tell you about what you are debating, or even when, then you are unprepared. You must be ready at any second to jump up and go, to get the topic, and just start debating on that subject. It is harder, but more thrilling. More fulfilling, knowing that you could accomplish so much, on such short notice.

There is a saying, 'live your life as if each day is your last'. This does not mean to mourn and be sad all the time. This means to do as much as you can, to be all you want to be, to make the most impact on people, and the world, because you never know if you will get a second chance.

Death is a funny thing too. For some reason, some people are scared of dying. A lot of non Jews live with myths about the after life, about heaven and hell. They are scared to face what is to come. We know that the more you are prepared for something, the easier it is to do, and the calmer you will feel about it. But how can you really know about death? I've never experienced it, at least not in this lifetime. So how can we know that it isn't a terrible thing, that we should be afraid of?

We don't know. You can't know, until you are there. Until you go through it. But we hope that all we learned about death is true. That your soul goes to a better place, that there is heaven, and rewards after death. That there is something, and not just a huge abyss, where your soul sits and waits.

I am not scared of dying. I've thought about it. Not in a suicidal way, just out of curiosity. How will it feel? How will I die? Will I miss being alive? Will I remember it at all?

It is just something that happens. Just like birth. The only difference is, birth is a happy occasion, it is celebrated. Whereas death is sad, mournful, regretful. But why is it so? They are both an ending of sorts, and a new beginning.

We as humans miss the dead, when they leave us. Is it a selfish emotion? Perhaps. Why are we so sad, when they are in a better place now? Why do we miss them, when they are not suffering anymore? Why do we wish them to come back, when they don't want to return?

I've never had a close encounter with death, thank G-d for that. I've read books in which people die. I know a fictional character dying is not the same as a realistic one. And in a book, you can always flip back the pages, and there they are again, still alive. In life, there is no going back. There is no 'undo' button. You can't make them reappear.

It's not easy, but it's just something that happens. It's natural. When you are no longer living, you are dead. It is not sad, or happy, or anything. It just is.

And you know what? It is just a stage, until the next one. Cuz nothing lasts forever.