<p>The immense tragedy of the crash of AI171 that shocked the nation is a stark reminder of the inevitability of the end of all life. Death stalks us every moment and it can happen midsentence or midstep , or midair, in the midst of a busy life or while relaxing on a weekend .</p>.<p>Death does give notice in the event of a terminal illness but we do not know how long we will languish or how sudden the end can be. Though in the midst of life we are in denial of this self evident truth life does not go on forever. Death has a trajectory all its own , a firm date in its calendar , a non negotiable deadline and when our lease of life is over we leave without a backward glance. George Steiner , scholar says “One of the bitter lessons of Greek tragedy is that the forces that shape or destroy our lives are beyond the governance of reason and justice.” </p>.<p>Human miseries and happiness result from circumstantial randomness but in this the most final of human matters we also realise that death is not a closure but a perpetuation of memories and their life that keeps the departed alive.</p>.A story of guilt and grace.<p>We do not know where we come from nor do we know where we are going, to an oblivion or an after life but the interim we know as life needs to be lived in all its consciousness and in all its intensity .</p>.<p>The stoic virtues tell us we must live within the uncontrollable forces leading a virtuous life, be resilient to things beyond the power of our will, to embrace change, to fight for our values, to understand suffering exists and face it with fortitude. We must make place for compassion and understanding , regret our trespasses and forgive those who trespass against us in our finite lives. </p>.<p>The Nobel Laureate Venki Ramakrishnan says in his book Why we die: The New Science of Ageing and the Quest for immortality, “I believe that knowing you are mortal gives us a sense of purpose and the drive to get something accomplished while we are alive.” We must therefore find happiness in the small moments, epiphanies , struggles, the agony and the ecstasy, the divinity of life itself, with it is sunshine and shadow.</p>
<p>The immense tragedy of the crash of AI171 that shocked the nation is a stark reminder of the inevitability of the end of all life. Death stalks us every moment and it can happen midsentence or midstep , or midair, in the midst of a busy life or while relaxing on a weekend .</p>.<p>Death does give notice in the event of a terminal illness but we do not know how long we will languish or how sudden the end can be. Though in the midst of life we are in denial of this self evident truth life does not go on forever. Death has a trajectory all its own , a firm date in its calendar , a non negotiable deadline and when our lease of life is over we leave without a backward glance. George Steiner , scholar says “One of the bitter lessons of Greek tragedy is that the forces that shape or destroy our lives are beyond the governance of reason and justice.” </p>.<p>Human miseries and happiness result from circumstantial randomness but in this the most final of human matters we also realise that death is not a closure but a perpetuation of memories and their life that keeps the departed alive.</p>.A story of guilt and grace.<p>We do not know where we come from nor do we know where we are going, to an oblivion or an after life but the interim we know as life needs to be lived in all its consciousness and in all its intensity .</p>.<p>The stoic virtues tell us we must live within the uncontrollable forces leading a virtuous life, be resilient to things beyond the power of our will, to embrace change, to fight for our values, to understand suffering exists and face it with fortitude. We must make place for compassion and understanding , regret our trespasses and forgive those who trespass against us in our finite lives. </p>.<p>The Nobel Laureate Venki Ramakrishnan says in his book Why we die: The New Science of Ageing and the Quest for immortality, “I believe that knowing you are mortal gives us a sense of purpose and the drive to get something accomplished while we are alive.” We must therefore find happiness in the small moments, epiphanies , struggles, the agony and the ecstasy, the divinity of life itself, with it is sunshine and shadow.</p>
