Apologies for being honest with how I felt Chula. I accept that my opinion can be sterile and ****ed up. I'd like this to be a serious thread as well, it's a fascinating topic.

So let's get to it because this went unanswered before. What does it mean to understand death? And what does it mean to accept it?

I don't think anybody really understands death and I don't think we ever will. And accepting that mystery is the closest thing to either understand or accepting it.

Nothing scares me more than thinking about how there may not be anything after death. It also fascinates me and there are many sleepless nights where these thoughts invade my mind.

I'll respond in the morning with a day by day account of the slow death of a family member that might add some balance.

Pleasant dreams all. Sleep should always be a good thing.

It'd be much appreciated (both the added perspective and nice dreams).

All of the family members I've known who've passed were all slow deaths. It's a double edged sword. On one hand, you have more time to ready yourself for their death and establish closure on your relationship, but then you have to witness or be left with the thought of their deterioration. Especially with current medical advancements, the death of the person you knew can happen long before they physically die. Nobody should have to endure losing control like that.

Until I was 37, I just walked around an unfeeling psychopath. When I woke up to my new life, I started to understand a lot of things I'd been deaf and blind to before. One of those things was death.

I honestly think it's impossible to really appreciate what death entails until you lose a parent, or a sibling. I'd seen aunts die before and it was harrowing (especially the first one, to whom I was really close) but when my mother passed away it really sunk in. I think the main thing I suddenly realised was that I was on my own - well, we all were - no more Ma there to talk to, discuss things with, laugh with, cry with, make things better. She passed when I was 28 but I still felt like a little kid when it happened: just so numb and unable to understand and lost and bereft. It's a terrible thing to go through, and then for a while you kind of just think of her (well, I did, as I don't really believe in religion or life after death) alone in the earth and my heart would break. Even when I go up to her grave now, I go for Karen, not me: it does nothing for me to stand beside her grave and talk to her. I can do that any time, any where.

Maybe it's easier for those who do firmly believe. Comments? Experiences?

Is it some kind of personal affront to you that I feel differently?

Then your, "Here comes the snark..."

You're the one who said my feelings are, "100% ****ed up."

No one passed any judgements on your feelings.

lol. Maybe so except the "bad as people" part. Dogs aren't perfect either but all I know is how I feel personally. My dog makes me happy and I'm not exactly the cheerful sort.

It is a common opinion that people hold though. People will quickly pull over their car to help a wounded dog on the side of the road than they would a person. A majority of people value animals lives above human lives. As much as I like animals I would still help a random human over an animal.