Listening to that talk about Kierkegaard, I heard the words "resignation" and "letting go". It occurred to me that dead people seem to be the ultimate resigners. They have resigned everything and let go of it all. That lead to my recalling words from Shakespeare: "Sans teeth, sans eyes, sans taste, sans everything."
The words come from a soliloquy "All the world's a stage" delivered by an actor in the play "As You Like It". The speech describes seven ages of life, starting as a baby and ending as a decrepit old person. When you are without teeth, without sight, without the ability to taste, you are getting near to the end of everything. At least, that is a common idea and a common expression. Life is over at some point, but existence is not.
Besides, in today's world, influence and presence are not over when a person dies. We remember the person, recall her ideas and his preferences. We often have to inquire as to whether the person is still living. I had a former student say to me a couple of weeks ago "I'm surprised you are still alive." Effects of the person's life and thought often go on long after breathing has ceased.
Besides eating and breathing and sleeping, there are two drives that quickly motivate people: sex and avoidance of death. Many of our plays and movies are about sexual attraction, sexual intercourse or sexual problems of one kind or another. Nearly all crime is related to being afraid to die or to be seriously wounded. Since at some point, both sex and life will end, it seems like it might be a good idea to make internal peace with both. I don't think complete acceptance with no qualms or worries or sparks is always possible but working toward that state, practicing, asking for it and seeking it can go a long way to quieting fears and improving enjoyment.
