I find the following helpful, from my reading in the Grief and Loss course. The quote at the top is from a man called Golomb, who I am assuming is unrelated to the character from The Lord of the Rings:
What is authentic must be finite since one cannot own and grasp an
infinite process or entity. Death enters life to conclude it, making
possible its adequate explication. Hence, only Being-towards-death
can be fully meaningful and authentic. Each time we entertain the
possibility of dying we undertake an assessment of our Being. In our
anticipation we define our existence. (1995, p.l 07)
The concept of 'Being-toward-death' mentioned here is one introduced by
another important existentialist writer, Martin Heidegger (1962) who has
already been quoted. What he meant by this term is that it is necessary to
recognize that life cannot be separated from death in the sense that: (i) death
is an ever-present possibility; and (ii) death makes life finite and therefore
precious.
So is argued that authentic existence, the Existentialist life-cry, is absolutely dependent on the reality of death. I am interested by the idea of the 'explication' of life being the ending of it by death, that it becomes a necessary ally to life.
Real Life
Sail Away Sweet Sister
This is all about God, prayer, community, music, art, poetry, theology, love and all sorts of things people run into on their life journey, especially when the second half of life is looming ahead. It is inspired by Fr Richard Rohr, by the Contemplative Outreach of Fr Thomas Keating, by C.G. Jung, by C.S. Lewis, Alan Watts, St Beuno's retreat house and all the communities I have a privilege to belong to. It is dedicated to and I hope will be used by my nearest and dearest, scattered all over the planet, and who are falling upwards with me.
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