Brief clarification: none of my loved ones have died recently, I just saw a sad show. At some point, every one of your loved ones will have their last moment with you. There will be a last moment you share with every single person you love—at least, in this life. Many of them are people who you’ve already seen for a final time—grandparents, parents, old friends.
Now imagine that there is no one. Just you. In a sense this is true of all of us. Our connections with others have limits. Death defines our limits in time, but there are physical and mental limits always. However close we are to our chosen friends and partners, and even our closest relatives, we are not them and we cannot come closer than a certain point. By imagining there is nobody I find surprise, joy, energy and connection in every interaction. But that could also be just because I currently live on the W coast of Ireland:-)
Do you think people who believe in heaven and hell after life should be sad about their loved ones dying? Presumably they think they're good people and therefore should go to heaven. I guess the argument can be made that you miss out on them, but wouldn't that be extremely selfish (getting to spend a little more time with them vs the value of them getting infinite bliss in heaven).
In particular I think it's good to imagine they have died and then what you'd want to do or say.
Now imagine that there is no one. Just you. In a sense this is true of all of us. Our connections with others have limits. Death defines our limits in time, but there are physical and mental limits always. However close we are to our chosen friends and partners, and even our closest relatives, we are not them and we cannot come closer than a certain point. By imagining there is nobody I find surprise, joy, energy and connection in every interaction. But that could also be just because I currently live on the W coast of Ireland:-)
Do you think people who believe in heaven and hell after life should be sad about their loved ones dying? Presumably they think they're good people and therefore should go to heaven. I guess the argument can be made that you miss out on them, but wouldn't that be extremely selfish (getting to spend a little more time with them vs the value of them getting infinite bliss in heaven).