Tuesday, October 13, 2009

Kobayashi Maru

"How we deal with death is at least as important as how we deal with life." Star Trek II : The Wrath of Khan

I never took the Kobayashi Maru, nor have I ever truly had to deal with death. I've only had one semi-close relative that has ever died (I just wasn't close to my grandparents - I was just too young when they passed), and even then I hadn't seen him in four years when he was killed.

I've never had to deal with it for animals either - the dog I grew up with ran away when we added on to the house, the dog I had for my first marriage stayed with my ex, and every other pet except for my current dog had to be given away for one reason or another.

My parents recently had to put down their 17 year old dog, and it really got me thinking. I've never faced death, and I don't know how I will deal with it. From the logistics of a funeral to the emotions - it feels like yet something else in life that I never got the instructions for. Here I am, father of 5, married twice, 45 years old, and still don't seem to have this thing figured out.
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

1 comment:

Beanie said...

Nobody ever "gets it figured out". The only way to learn is to sit with a friend who is going through the tough job of burying a loved one.

Your friend gets the comfort and your get an important life lesson. Everyone kinda wins. Sort of.

Kobayashi Maru. Haven't seen that movie in a really long time.