To all the senior citizens, do you find that you fear death more or less as you get older?

Question

And could you please tell me your age? Thanks!

Answer 1

I'm 58. I have no fear of death - several years ago I had a severe encounter with cancer, and fully expected to die. During that time I felt no fear, only gratitude that I'd had a good span of years and had experienced many wonderful things in my life, and that my children were grown up and could deal with my loss . In the eight years since then, I've just been really grateful to be able to wake up every morning, and when the final day comes, if I know its coming, that'll be fine with me. If I'm in a lot of pain, then I do hope that someone will help me out of this life with some dignity. By the way, I don't have any religious beliefs to sustain me, just a philosophical outlook on life.

Answer 2

I think you consider your own mortality, when you lose both
of your parents. Then you realize that in another 20 years or
so, you will be following after them. So as you age more
after that period of awakening, you do tend to think about
the ways you could die. And you ponder the here after. Or if
there is a hereafter. Since scientifically, we don't really know
until we experience death. I fear death, because of the unknown element. Since I have been educated on the distor-
tions in the bible, I cannot accept its' teachings now. And at
one time, I accepted it blindly and kept the faith. Now there is
no excuse for trying to remain ignorant of the contradictions
it contains. So I can only pray to our God and hope that there
is life, not above, but on the 'other side'. And that when my
last breath has left me, I will find comfort and not fear, and
that I will not flow into a black void that is endless. I would
like to think there is reincarnation, and that I will be back in
another lifetime, to fill the emptiness that I have found in the
current one. For if a person doesn't find riches in a loving family, or in a bank account, or in a major life achieve-
ment, then what is his purpose on earth? We should all have
some pride of fulfillment in a thing we've mastered or dev-
eloped, or achieved in life or brought into this world. If we haven't produced something to prove our life has been worthwhile, then why were even put here?
Yes, there seems to be much to be pondered when one
becomes a senior citizen. I find I do much more thinking
now than when I was younger. There's so much more to
learn, in so little time. At the age of 64, I feel like I'm a
sponge when it comes to wanting to devour more books or
information on subjects that interest me. And among them
are books of scientific study on the early days of Christianity
and how things changed during the course of time to what
we're taught to believe today. I want to eliminate alot of
questions or self doubts, in the time I have left. And maybe
I'll lose the fears I now have before then. Time will tell.

Answer 3

Here's my poem to answer your question. I am 55 and I do think about death - perhaps because I think I should have been more successful in life and I know time is running out.


"House of the Dead: My Home Too"


I looked around
The sky was interesting
The moon was in the white sky and the sun was going down

I looked around
There were comforters and comfortees
I was suppose to be a comforter

I looked around like a tourist
as if the funeral-to-be was a spectacle
I was in my role of observer
and I saw my co-worker’s white face
without makeup was still quite pretty
Did her grief add to or subtract from her beauty?

I saw the mounds of dirt
some with flowers and some without
I tried not to think what it meant
what those mounds of dirt meant

The wife of the dead man fainted
I had been told that she didn’t love her husband
Then I remembered my friend telling me
the dead man took too long to die
the family prayed for his death

I looked around at the death party
Some people looked quite ordinary
as if this was just an ordinary outing
they exchanged pleasantries and made small talk
After the father of my co-worker was buried
I waited on line for my turn to hug her and say I’m sorry

As we rode in the car, leaving the dead behind
we were quite boisterous
One of the women called her daughter
to discuss what they had for lunch

The mounds of dead with or without flowers
The mourners crying or not crying
The moon’s turn to dominate while the sun is going down
And I am trying for once in my life not to think,
think that I will be home soon

Answer 4

I'm 67...and I have never feared death. Death comes to all of us, so no need to be concerned about the where or when. It could drive you nuts. Besides, there is nothing you can do about it. Why worry. It is as much a part of life as living. Every living thing dies sooner or later.

The trick is to make the most of your time here, make your life count for something, be a good person, love your children, parents, grandkids. Have a ready smile for everyone, be kind to those around you, have a dream or a goal and work towards it. Be a good friend.

Barring accidents or deadly illness, most of us will only get about 75-80 years. Dammed if I will waste a moment of it worrying about when it will end or how.

Answer 5

Of course I fear death -but not enough to dwell on it. Heck, death is losing consciousness. I lose that every night and don't mind a bit. And I'm like that other fella here, I do not want it to be a long drawn out process. I fear a painful death and the stress it'd put on my loved one lots more than death.
Actually, since I'm a son of a son of Alzheimer's cases, I'd kind of like to have access to a lethal injection death. You know, get relaxed, take a nap, not wake up. Pity its wasted on the very ones who don't deserve it while good citizens have to endure the indignity, suffering and the suffering of their loved ones due to idiotic superstitions.

I'm 65.

Answer 6

I have less fear of death. My fear lies with the way of death. The way you die is more important than dying itself. I want a quality death. I want a death that gets a 5 star rating. Quick and in my sleep. That is a 5 star death.
Dying slowly in a nursing home is half of a star.
Incidently I am 57.

Answer 7

Age 67. I do not fear death but would hope to have a few more years to see what paths in life my 9 grands choose.

Answer 8

I am 63 this month and my feelings about death seem to change frequently. Sometimes I am a little fearful, others I feel very philosophical about it, and at other times I feel like I would welcome it. I have these talks with God. Are you there, are you an invention of fearful early man? I was raised a Baptist, but have an interest in other religions. Sometimes I think I should have been Jewish, but now, how could I deny Jesus? It's a dilemma. Faith!! I need more faith.

Answer 9

It's always a good day to die. As I grow older, I understand why people aren't afraid to die, "lived a full life" has more meaning.

At the point of impact in a car wreck once, I was struck by the beauty of the trees (and it actually feels in slow motion) as the car spun. Death itself is okay. But while watching someone suffer who is dying, our empathy and compassion for their past and their physical condition are heightened. It's the thought before hand of losing life that causes anxiety. . . is my family ready for me to leave? who will take care of my child? Will my family help take care of my child? Will my country, my people, be supportive, or will they let my family falter in the future? Who will fill my shoes for my child? How will he manage with that big change, that void, that relationship, that friendship? So I reckon it's not the loss of my life so much, but the loss of continuing relationships. And death, if it has a personality, doesn't acknowledge or recognize that importance in our lives, or believes we can deal with it.

Answer 10

Yes I fear death or more so the unknown. But what I fear greater is poor health, catastrophic illnesses, nursing homes, helplessness and being alone. In those cases, death would be welcomed.