Death and Dying

Figure this would be an interesting thread to start.

I'm a cat person, but a relative of mine passed away this morning, and their family dog was very upset. The family dog whimpered, whined, put her ears back, and wasn't her normal chipper/hyper self. When anyone said the word "sad," she would whimper even more. After the body was moved, she jumped on the hospital bed, sniffed around, and plopped down to whimper some more. She didn't know what to do with herself.

Our family is heart broken for our loss, but the relative that passed away was suffering a great deal for more than a decade.

My opinions and beliefs on death do not leave me saddened by the departure. I am very sad for the grief that my extended family will have to endure. The cousin that passed away was very young and did not deserve the suffering. She was a firstborn to her parents, and they did not deserve what they've had to go through. An early diagnosis when she was 14, she never had the chance to truly enjoy adulthood. She fought for everything that she had in this world, and even while being disabled, was stubborn and very opinionated. She always yearned for her independence, always being the caged mockingbird.

Nobody gets out of this life alive. I hope she gets a better hand from the deck of cards during her next life. She really deserves it.