I’m Going to Die. I May as Well Be Cheerful About It.

The hard, cold truth is that death comes for us all – no one is immortal, and therefore everyone’s life will inevitably come to an end. For the author, the thought of their own demise happens upon them (or sneaks up on them in the middle of the night) at least once a month. She knows she will one day die and has prepared as much as possible: a will, a health care proxy, a medical directive, and the appropriate conversations with family members.

Practical checklist of essential planning aside, approaching death with a more amicable attitude is a choice so many people are afforded. The author writes about her grandmother who though she was in pain from leukemia in her last days, she was more interested in talking about the author’s time in college. When complimented on her courage, the grandmother responded, “I am going to be in pain and die soon no matter how I behave, so I might as well be cheerful.”

What happens to us after death? That is a personal question that depends on your own beliefs or ideologies and usually provides an element of comfort. But the author allows something tangible and of this realm to connect them with the next plane of existence: snow. She lives in Nebraska and not only does snow embody the connection between life and death, but also between the present and the days of her youth.

See Mary Pipher, I’m Going to Die. I May as Well Be Cheerful About It, New York Times, March 6, 2020.

Special thanks to Lewis Saret (Attorney, Washington, D.C.) for bringing this article to my attention.