> In a message dated 12/07/1999 12:18:55 PM Eastern Standard Time, hal@finney.org writes:
I had encounters with Death at an early age and again in my early 20s, due to illness. Ever since, I have been trying to reconcile a sense of mortality as a quiet presence in daily life. We biological creatures are so fragile, the skin so thin a defense against the rigors of existence, the bones so prone to breakage and decay.
And, yet, the encounters have liberated me from a deep fear of Death. Every new day is an affirmation of the act of self-will that activated the bodily machinery to cure itself. I do wonder how that view will change as age advances, but I plan to live a long time.
And, thank you Hal, for your honesty and willingness to bring up this subject.
Affectionately,
Kathryn