# 13 — Death Anniversaries
I’m aware that some of my recent blog writings have explored the reality of death. Just a little over a week ago I wrote a short blog entry titled “The Tragic Virtuosi,” in which I discussed some of the great musicians who died at such young ages. Before that writing, I provided a lengthy analysis of the concluding scene from “Watership Down” (1978); the principal character’s death and its consequences were all captured in a single, uncut shot. I suppose this discussion of a difficult topic began shortly after my dog’s passing, which occurred exactly seven weeks ago (also, seven blog entries ago). He holds a special place in my heart and always will, but since then I’ve had plenty of time to reflect on many of those in my life who have also passed away even long before him.
Now, let me do a quick sidebar here and mention birthdays. I’ve always celebrated them, whether it’s for myself or for a loved one, but I do so much more for my loved ones. What I’m about to describe is something that I don’t really see that much among my loved ones as we get older, but when I was a kid, I remember some of my classmates and friends had very negative outlooks on birthdays. The general sentiment they shared went something along the lines of, “Why do you say ‘happy birthday?’ What’s ‘happy’ about birthdays? They just mean you’re another year closer to death.” When I heard them say stuff like that back then, I thought they were sad and needed some friends (and I still think a little that way today). But now that I’m older and hopefully wiser, I’ve wanted to take that perspective and put a much more positive spin on the inverse situation of death anniversaries.
If those aforementioned people choose to have the glass-half-empty attitude about birthdays, then — by their logic, even though they are technically correct — they can also accept the reality of hope if they wish to do so. As birthdays bring them a year away from their birth, they also bring them a year closer to death, which I strongly believe will lead them to the afterlife. With death anniversaries, I used to have the instinct of grieving and mourning. In the case of my dog, Fitz, who entered the Eternal Life seven weeks ago, I could argue that his surviving family are seven weeks closer to being reunited with him. This logic can be applied to any kind of annual celebrations/observations, but the interpretation of such occasions may vary based on the individual’s outlook on life. No matter how much it might reflect tragedy, there will always be the hope of eventual reunion with the departed in the kingdom of heaven.