“I do not fear death. I had been dead for billions of years before I was born and had not suffered the slightest inconvenience.” —Mark Twain (author)

Death: the ultimate cessation of all. A conclusion to a commencement. For atheists, it stands as a natural facet of existence—a stark, unadorned truth. Yet, for the religious, it signifies a fresh genesis into a potential afterlife, an intricate spiritual passage wherein we shed our earthly vessel. We depart from our corporeal forms, bearing solely the summation of our life's endeavors, irrespective of their virtue or vice.

        "For me, death is an ongoing experience”. As I lay here on this clean white bed in my own home. The persistent beeping of the heart monitor is a stark contrast to the quite acceptance of my loved ones. I see everyone that I ever loved with me in the room. My three darling daughters, two of my stern but loving sons. As well as my in-laws and grandchildren. Frankly this is a good situation, what better way to die than to die on your terms in the comfort of your own home, surrounded by your loved ones.

       "It's comforting to know that I'm leaving life on my own terms. I've enjoyed a long and fulfilling journey. Despite encountering life's challenges, I've always striven to maximize the potential of the hand I've been dealt. While I may not recall my family members distinctly, the memories of them still linger, even if their names are like fragments fading in and out – much like trying to cup water in your hands, only to watch most of it slip away between your fingers.

Ironically, my affliction remains vivid in my mind, as clear as daylight. A dual whammy of ailments: Lung cancer and Lewy body dementia. One assaults my body, the other ravages my mind. It feels pragmatic to embrace the inevitable instead of prolonging the process."

“Dad, can you hear me?" The person closest to me asked. It was my eldest son, a reliable pillar for the family since my affliction. He's a tall and well-built man, currently dressed in a flannel shirt and khaki pants, leaning down towards his father.

"Yes, son?" I replied, my attempt to recall his name yielding no results. As I readied myself to speak, an unexpected, intense pain stabbed at my chest. Usually, this doesn’t last long but this sensation was different.

I gasped and wheezed, the pain escalating to an unbearable level. My son enveloped me in an embrace, his voice reaching my ears, "I love you, Dad." In that moment, I instinctively recognized that this was the culmination of my journey, and it appeared that everyone around me shared that awareness too.

 The weight of my impending death crashes in me. My life flashes before my eyes, in a cacophony of sound, sight, taste, smell, and touch. Memories of past events, flow through my mind; my childhood, teen hood, adulthood, and up until this very moment.  Experiencing the greatest flashback of my entire lifetime and still can’t remember my name or everyone else’s.

  As the dying man basks in the memories of an entire lifetime in mere moments, he chuckles as he remembers a peculiar meme from one of his favorite T.V shows.

It so happens that he spoke the words of that meme.

“Hah, gay” he softly mutters to his son, as he accepts his death.