Does life retain its meaning solely due to the fact that death is imminent?
The ticking of the clock, counting down to the end - a constant reminder of the shortness of time given to us on this planet.
The last few minutes of an hour-long exam seem the most valuable - a time when you desperately wish for just a few more seconds. You regret the moments you wasted earlier, convinced that if only you had more time, you’d make it right. Isn’t that exactly how we live life? Careening through it thinking we have all the time in the world, until the final moments come in, and suddenly, everything feels important - regret for all the lost moments of time.
Death is what makes every second meaningful. Without it, would we still chase dreams so urgently, would dreams even be worth achieving? Would we treasure love with the same passion, or value time with the same reverence? If we were to live forever, would we still feel the same sense of wonder for a sunrise or a small moment of joy?
Death, though terrifying in notion, is also clarifying. It reminds us to live. It teaches us to feel. It make us reflect.
Maybe the brevity of life is its greatest gift. Not because it ends, but because knowing that it ends pushes us to begin.