The Great Equalizer

The Great Equalizer

As winter approaches I watch the dying things… the colorless flower beds, the brittle skeletons of trees that add a melancholy touch to the browning landscape, and listen to the silence once filled by the buzzing of summer’s tiny life,

As winter approaches, I see death all around me and I’m reminded that death is as much a part of life as birth. It is also the great equalizer. No matter how poor we are, how rich we are, how powerless we are, or how powerful we are, death is the one experience that we all will share.

Yet, death, though the great equalizer, is not an end but merely a transition.

Death’s inevitable and universal experience is a profound mystery that has occupied human thought throughout history. The apprehension of death and its uncertainty pushes us to search for answers and understand our place in the majestic universe. However, death remains an enigma.

Shakespeare frequently explored the concept of death in his works. In Hamlet, the protagonist grapples with the idea of death and its implications for the living. Hamlet’s contemplations on death are some of the most memorable in literature, encapsulating the human battle with mortality.

To die, to sleep, to be no more – are thoughts that incite fear and anxiety. Death signifies the unknown, a state where we can no longer experience life’s joys and sorrows. It is a sleep we cannot be awakened from, and the thought of it can bring a sense of despair and hopelessness.

However, death is not the end. It is a transition, a passage from this life to the next. Despite the fear it may instill, death must be accepted as a natural part of the cycle of life. Death is not an adversary, but an ally. It liberates us from the pain and suffering of this world and offers peace.

Nonetheless, death is not without its own suffering. It brings sorrow and grief, as we are forced to part with the ones we love. It serves as a reminder of our own mortality and the transient nature of life. Yet, even in the face of death, we find comfort.

Nature teaches us that death is a necessary part of the life cycle. The falling of leaves in autumn prepares the tree for new growth in the spring. The death and decay of the beautiful flowers that once graced many summer days enriches the soil, providing nutrients for new life to flourish when spring comes.

In the same way, death is an essential component of the human experience. It is a reminder of the transience of life and the need for us to make the most of the time we have in this world. It is a call to live fully, to embrace each moment, and to cherish the people we love and the experiences that bring us joy.

Death is the great equalizer. It teaches us that no matter how great or how powerless we are, how poor or how rich we are, how beautiful or how homely we are, death makes us all equal.

Death is not an end but a beginning. It is the end of time and the beginning of time. Mark Twain wrote…

“I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions and billions of years before I was born, and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience from it.”

Make the most of the time that you have and make the most of the days you are given. Be gentle with the ones you love and remember those who died before you will never be dead unless they are forgotten.

Knowing that death is the great equalizer makes it easier to accept the inequities, hatred, and injustices of this world.

Kahlil Gibran wrote…

For what is it to die but to stand naked in the wind and to melt into the sun? And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.