by Xian Magnaye (7th)
Life is something we all hold onto. Some have nothing to hold onto, while others have everything. Some want to hold onto something before they die. But why do we hold on? How do we hold on? What do we hold onto?
We all hold onto something, but whether sooner or later, we will lose it. We hold onto both *something* and *nothing* at the same time. Some fear death, while others fear life. Those who fear death are chased by it, while those who do not fear it may chase death instead. One should not fear death, for it will come for us at any given moment.
In life, they say that “actions speak louder than words,” but in death, what people remember most are the words of their loved ones. We, as people, want to be remembered—though some do not. To do what you *can* is to be human; to do what you *want* is to be like a god. To be human is to have limitations. Some of us want to break those limitations. In life, we gain and we lose. Most of the time, we lose; sometimes, we gain—but what we focus on matters most. If you look at the world positively, you might become ignorant of the negative things that happen. In simpler terms: “Ignorance is bliss.” If you look at the world negatively, you may miss the good things along the way.
He who fears death also fears living, for when we are closest to death, we feel most alive. Therefore, death must not be feared. Sometimes, the longer we live, the more dead we feel. A man who fears death will be chased by it, while one who chases death embraces it. Before death, we build our legacy to pass down. We hold onto our legacy, our memories, and our emotions. To be human is to hold onto these things, but once we die, we let go of everything. It is only when we are dead that we are remembered most.