What is death?

According to the Myriam Webster dictionary Death is the cessation of all biological

functions that sustain a living organism. Some of the causes of death

ageing, preditation, malnutriton, disease, suicide, homicide, starvation, dehydration,

and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury. Each day approximately 151,600 people

pass away each day. And approximately 55.3 million people die annually.

Death and the Grieving are a usually a sore subject that many tend to shy away from. I choose

this subject because of its sensitive nature. I have attended Since January of this year I have

attended two funerals. Both funerals were for victims that unfortunately drowned. The first

funeral was a double funeral for a husband and wife the husband had a seizure while driving lost

control of the car the car was submerged in the water. Bystanders tried everything possible to

save them they were able to pull the husband out the wife died on the scene 4 days after the

husband was declared clinically brain dead and the family decided to withdraw him from life

support. The second funeral was for a 5 year old little girl. She was at a barbeque with family

friends nobody noticed she had go into the pool unattended by the time they discovered her body

it was too late despite efforts to resuscitate her she passed away. When my grandmother died, I

took my 18-month-old daughter to her viewing my daughter shouted out wake up Grammy,

Mamma Grammy is sleeping children may even feel that they are the cause of the person’s

death. During the period of adolescence dealing with death can be somewhat complicated even

more so if this is their first encounter with death. My father was murdered when I was twelve

years old. He was killed by a person that was under the influence of drugs that has no

recollection of this event. For me I tried to block it out for the longest time and didn’t deal with

the situation until I was in my late teens. I was filled with a lot of anger and resentment. I never
got closure I never got to say goodbye even as an adult in my mid-thirties I am still trying to deal

with this tragic event that occurred during my adolescents.

Death during adulthood is dependent on the way the death occurred it also is dependent on who

the deceased person is dealing with the death of a parent is different than the death of one’s child

or the death of one’s friend. Death during late adulthood is accepted with more ease that death in

any other lifespan period older adults have much less anxiety about dyeing that people in any

other life span period.

Dealing with death and bereavement differs life span. A lot of factors that are religious,

cultural and ethical determine how one deals with dying and bereavement. In my culture, most

people are Christian, catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Lutheran, Baptist, Pentecostal, non-

denominational, seven day Adventist, Jehovah witness or Muslim. Most religions in the

Caribbean wait 7-14 days to have a viewing for the deceased person followed the next day or

two with a funeral service as well as a graveyard burial or cremation. Most religions believe in

burial or cremation.

Some religions such as Jehovah’s witness and Judaism believe that the burial should occur

sooner. Jehovah’s witness buries within a week of death and Judaism burial takes place in

twenty-four hours unless it is a holiday or a weekend. In Judaism, it is unacceptable to start

mourning the deceased before they pass away. Working in a hospital setting and having to do

postmortem care in some cases the family stay in the room with the deceased for twenty-four

hours watching over the body. When we are fastening the corpse arms and feet we are not

allowed to cross one over the other we have to fasten them side by side because crossing them

would be symbolic of the cross. Not embalming is permitted you are not to send flowers and
there is no music at the funeral. From the day of the funeral to the seven day after the funeral the

family sits Shiva. During this time the family puts a basin of water outside for hand washing and

is permitted to eat foods consisting of a circular shape some examples of this would be eggs

breads peas lentils.

In Muslim culture the deceased is buried as soon as possible as well the deceased eyes and jaw is

closed and is covered with a clean sheet. Organ donation is acceptable but embalming and

autopsies are not allowed in Muslim culture unless it is required by the law. Cremation is

forbidden in Muslim culture.

Most people are in denial that their loved ones are dying or have died a lot of people have a

hard time letting go. People bargain for more time with their loved ones. Most people are angry

about the fact that their loved ones are dying or have died as I stated above it took me a long time

to accept the fact that my father had passed away. After the death of my father I was filled with

so much anger and hate it took lots of counseling for me to accept the fact that my father had

passed away. I went through a period of depression with the support of my family I overcame

this period and learned to accept the fact that my father was not coming back.