A Reflection on Death and Dying

_{The image above was created By Chatgpt}

Today, I am not going to discuss my physiotherapy journal or an absolute science issue, but a reflection that truly matters to everyone of us.
Yesterday, one of the elders in my village was buried. The man was 88 years old and had been blind before he died, and he died after a brief illness. Although he was old, and his passing wasn’t unexpected, it left a quiet heaviness in my community yesterday.

I recall when I was growing up, this same man was very vibrant and full of life and energy then. He was someone the community looked up to for guidance, greeted with respect. This man moved with authority, and people listened when he spoke. I am not joking. But now, I have seen the story of him come to a close, or should I say, an end. I have watched him age. I have watched him grow frail too. And now, he is no more.

My friends, this man’s transition touched me in a way that has been making me wonder about what this life is all about. I have realized that life doesn’t pause. It moves on quietly and steadily, as if nothing happened. Take, for instance, today we are happy that a child is born. Tomorrow someone dies. Still, despite all these, the world we live in still turns out to be just the same. And it makes you wonder, what really is going on in this life?

To be honest, most times I feel like life is just a big recycling system. Like the can or container produced for a purpose, used to serve that purpose, then disposed of and recycled into something new. Is that what we are too? Do we live, fulfill some silent mission, then get recycled somewhere else, in some form, for another round of existence?
Well, I don’t have the best answers to this question. But I have noticed that I think about these things more often now.

This recent loss in my community has reminded me of something I encountered during my studies in our pathology class. In general pathology, we were taught about the concept of adaptation, that is, how the human body responds to stress, injury, or change. Let me explain that in a way you will understand better. When we face a challenge or stress, our body doesn’t immediately shut down or die; instead, it tries to adjust. Our system modifies itself to keep things going smoothly, some even without you knowing. Our body can hypertrophy to make muscles bigger, metaplasia to convert one tissue type to another, or even hyperplasia to increase cell numbers. All of these are ways the body fights to keep us alive.

But we were made to understand that even these mechanisms have their own limits. This is a sad truth that we must accept.

There comes a time when this adaptation won’t be enough to keep us living young. Hence, our body becomes tired. Our systems begin to fail. And that is when the signs of aging take full effect. You will notice that with age, catabolism, which is the breakdown of body tissues, starts to outweigh anabolism, the building up. The body simply stops investing energy in growing or maintaining itself like it used to do. Protein synthesis will slow down. Cell turnover will reduce as well. The organs weaken. Slowly, quietly, our body gives up its struggle to adapt. This is basically old age setting in.

It bothers me why it has to be this way, like why can’t our systems figure out how to bypass this gradual collapse? Why can’t there be a natural “reset” button that can keep our bodies forever young? I believe you have listened to Jay-Z's song on this matter. Many people wish they could stay youthful forever. So why hasn’t the body evolved a way to make that happen?
Maybe this is part of how our lives were designed, to teach us that time is finite and that purpose is not about lasting forever but about making meaning in the time we are given. My thoughts too.

To the man we buried yesterday, he may not have been famous, I guess. I really don’t even know the full details of his life since I didn't grow up with him. But what I know is that he was respected. He was considered wise by our people. He was part of the living memory of my community. And that, to me, is powerful. To live in a way that earns the trust and respect of others...that’s not small.

Years from now, when I grow old, and I will, maybe I will sit with younger people and speak of this man to them, the way I do now. Maybe then, I'll reflect on my own journey on this earth, my own struggles, and the way I lived my life. And just like the cycle of life, the light will be passed again.

So today as I reflect on this issue,. Not out of sorrow alone but out of awareness too... I have come to a point where I can boldly say that we do not control this cycle of life, but we can shape the legacy we leave behind in it.
Life may not be just about survival but its impact. Like we ought to live with intentions and not only for existence. Hence, I encourage us to plant seeds that will outlive us. Because when death comes, what remains is not how long we lived but how well we lived the life.

I'm glad you read till this point. And I appreciate your time. Please leave your concerns in the comment section if you have any!!