There are very few Certainties in life
Death is one of the few certainties we carry. We may avoid talking about it, but its presence quietly shapes how we live, love, and search for meaning. Facing death — whether our own or someone else’s — often unlocks questions we might never ask otherwise.
The Weight of the Constant
Almost everything in life is uncertain: jobs change, relationships shift, health fluctuates. But death is constant. Knowing that one day life ends can feel overwhelming, frightening, or even reassuring. It can also remind us to pay attention to what we have right now.
For some, death feels like an ending. For others, it feels like a doorway.”
How we view death is very much tied to our beliefs; but with acceptance this this life is bookended, it can make you think, lets make the most of the time I have.
The Questions It Unlocks
When we face death, many doors open:
- What do I want to leave behind?
- Who matters most to me?
- What unfinished words or actions weigh on me?
- How do I want to use the time I still have?
- Have I had a good life?
These aren’t easy questions — but they are deeply human. They connect us to values, love, and legacy in a way few other experiences can.
An Existential Lens
Existential thinkers describe death as the horizon that gives shape to life. Without limits, life might lose urgency or meaning. Knowing our time is finite doesn’t diminish us — it reminds us of our freedom to choose, and our responsibility for how we live.
Death is the constant we all carry. And sometimes, when we face it, it unlocks doors to what matters most.
They sometimes say, we don’t appreciate what we have until we’ve lost it, and really that’s what the concept of death does, it makes you stop and think, what do i really want.
Therapy and Mortality
Therapy doesn’t provide answers to what comes after death, and every journey is unique. What it can provide is a space to sit with the questions death raises: fear, regret, hope, or even curiosity. Sometimes naming the weight of mortality aloud is enough to make it feel less heavy.
Death is not just an ending. It is also a reminder: that life is precious, that meaning matters, and that even in uncertainty, we can choose how to live in the time we have.
