Birth & Death

Tonight as I sit with many family members, surrounded around my mamaw's hospital bed, I begin to think and then finally realize that birth and death aren't very much different at all. This train of thought may simply be coping mechanism, but here is my rationale:



Birth: Anyone who has ever viewed a birthing video, or has given birth or witnessed someone giving birth knows that childbirth can be very ugly. There is a lot of waiting, a lot of pain, a lot of bittersweet moments, several on edge moments, etc. Most of the time, you have family and friends gathered around you providing support. There is blood, sweat and tears. Oh, and did I mention needles (I hate needles by the way)? The final outcome, however, is beautiful-a baby is the end result. A baby who is seeing the world for the first time, a baby who is feeling his/her mother's touch for the first time. A baby who is feeling emotions for the first time. It's a beautiful thing.

Death: People, in most cases, die with their friends and family surrounding them. There is blood, there is sweat, and there are lots and lots of tears. There are needles too (unfortunately). Family and friends shed tears one moment and then laugh about great memories the next. Like birth, there is a lot of waiting as well.

Tonight, I tried to look at death, not as the end, but as a new beginning, a rebirth.

Signing off...