Are we just memories?

I just received the news that one of my aunts passed away. She was one of my closest aunts. It hurts to know that she is completely gone, at least physically. And it makes me wonder, again, what is this all about? This existence we call “life”?

Spring is a reminder that life is a cycle.

It devastates me to know that everybody, including myself , will eventually cease to exist on this earth. Then what? Is this a transition to another level or state of existence? Many religions tell us yes, there is more after this. But what exactly? What about what we experience now, before we depart?

We are all going to die. Me, my wife, my brothers, my mom, everybody. It is inevitable. It is definitely going to happen. Why can’t I fully grasp this concept without feeling petrified and scared? How can I live at peace with the real idea that my consciousness, as I know and understand it, is going to cease to exist.

Yes, we are going to die one day, but We are also living everyday. We are living every moment. We should live every day as if it was the last one. Every minute that we have is a gift, it’s an opportunity to live the fullest.

But then I ask myself, are we just memories? Are our lives based on what we remember and that is it ? And if we are simply just memories? When I leave this earth, the next generation will carry some of my essence, which means I will not be truly gone. My children and grandchildren will remember me and I will still be part of their lives. The same way that my loved ones that passed away are still in my memories and in my way of life. I still remember my Dad and he is reflected in the way that I live and in my personality.

Today I read something that inspired me and gave me some hope. It talked about the fact that there is no death but an actual transition. That every bad experience is a lesson. And the good experiences should be enjoyed and appreciated fully. The loved ones that are gone are simply ahead of us in the transition of life. We will meet them again someday. We are still in this stage of our existence.

Me and my Dad a year before he passed.

So in conclusion, all I can say is that I haven’t gotten off of this train of life yet, but someday I will, like everybody else, and when that day comes, I will see my dad and aunt again.