THIS BLOG TELLS SOME THOUGHTS ON LIFE AND DEATH

Today November 1, is All Saints' Day ( is a christian holy day to honor all saints of the Catholic Church, including those not known by name. All Souls Day (November 2) was established by Odilo, abbot of Cluny, in the 11th century in commemoration of those baptized Christians believed to be in purgatory. All Souls' Day purposely follows All Saints' Day to shift people's attention from the saints in heaven to the souls in purgatory.) Most Catholics visit graves of their departed on November 1, which is All Saints' Day. Maybe they subconciously or purposely believe that their loved ones have become saints? What a marvelous optimism!We shall ponder a little about time, life and death. It is important that what we do with our life. We should also accept that death is, in truth, the grand partner of life. Life ends in death and, who knows, eternal life starts with death.Death and dying shouldn't be black and depressing, I believe it doesn't make sense that much of the world closely associates death with the color black, horror movies, Halloween, terrifying darkness, ghouls and spooky witches.

HOW DO WE WANT PEOPLE REMEMBER US?American writer Mark Twain once responded with wit to a false report that he had supposedly died, saying "News on my death has been greatly exaggerated." The legendary Swedish inventor and chemist Alfred Nobel had once experienced what Mark Twain went through. He woke up one morning in 1888 to the startling news that a French newspaper had mistakenly published an obituary of his death and called him the "merchant of death." It was a double shock for Nobel, who sincerely believed that his invention of dynamite would actually end all wars and hasten world peace.Nobel was so disturbed by his possible dark legacy, he wanted to change his future obituary. When he died in 1986, the reading of his will shocked his relatives. Alfred Nobel had bequeathed 94 percent of his wealth to the creation of five world-famous prizes -Physics, Chemistry, Physiology or medicine, Literature, and Peace - to be given to "those who, during the preceeding, shall have confered the greatest benefit to mankind."During All Saints' Day and funerals , let us not only be fixated on mourning death . Celebrate life more. Wouldn't it be much more better if we celebrate the lives of those who died and gain inspiration from them, rather than forever grieve in gloomy, inconsolable sorrow?

FAMOUS LAST WORD AND EPITAPH:
" A great artist dies in me." - Roman Emperor Nero"
I feel the flowers growing over me." - Socrates"
Consummatum est!" (it is done) - Jose Rizal"
A dying man can do nothing easy." - Benjamin Franklin "
Applaud, friends, the comedy is over ." - Ludwig Van Beethoven"
It is very beautiful over there." - Thomas Edison"
All wells, that ends well" - William Shakespeare

NOT SO FAMOUS:
" I told you I was sick." epitaph in Georgia cemetery"
At last she sleeps alone." epitaph of a prostitute "
Its so peaceful here." - epitaph of a troubled husband."
Here lies an Atheist, all dress up and no place to go." - epitaph of an Atheist"
The defense rest." epitaph of a defense attorney"
Here lies Lester Moore/ four slugs from forty four/no less, no more."
" He was a simple man, who died of complication." epitaph of a simple man.

DO NOT MOURN DEATH, CELEBRATE LIFE - A well made film "Ladder 49" when the heroic film fireman played by Joaquin Phoenix died, his chief played by John Travolta delivered an eloquent speech asking people in the funeral "not to mourn on his death, but to celebrate life." and that was the best part of the film.