My uncle passed away on 26 January 2023. A fifty something man, he was a bachelor who lived life king-size. He ate what he felt like, he drank when he felt like and he loved to splurge on himself and people.

His death was also like him. Quite uncomplicated. On 26th morning, he had spent some time talking on the phone to his friends and relatives. He was excited about an upcoming wedding in the village. After the phone calls, he told his helper to prepare the water for his bath. The helper did his bidding and went out. After sometime, the helper returned with his midmorning meal to find him lying on the bed covered with quilt. He tried shaking him awake but he had passed away. A silent heart attack. There weren’t any wrinkles on the bed, no sign of any pain or distress on his face. It was almost as if he had gone off to sleep and this time forever.

I don’t know why some people get such an easy death while others languish for a while before passing on. Maybe, he lived a very uncomplicated life. Maybe he didn’t have much to think about and let go. No children of his own, no wife,no responsibilities as such.

This really has got me thinking. Life is so transient, so volatile. We never know which moment will be our last. We don’t know anything actually…despite our accomplishments in science and space. We may fool ourselves by proclaiming humans as the most evolved species of the planet but the truth is that we are as helpless as all other beings on earth. So, live well for as long as your breaths last.

Something Else

I wonder if an easy death is what heaven looks like. Slight discomfort and those last minutes where your life review happens (as reported in near death experiences) where you know you’ve done your best no matter what. Perhaps thats what my uncle experienced. But I will never know. And when I will finally know, I will not be able to tell anyone….

Such is life…and death