After that the dark

There is something that Tennyson and Tolkien both grasp, and it is that death is a great adventure. Not always is there adventure in getting there, sometimes it can be quite boring. But no matter how one dies, whether it is as a hero, as a scoundrel, or quietly in bed, our deaths share something in common: we face the unknown. Sure, our faith informs us of a few things about death: our judgment, heaven and hell. But we don't know what heaven and hell will be like, we don't know what we will experience. We know heaven will be the beatific vision, we'll see God as he is. We know hell will be our eternal separation from God, self-chosen. But how will we experience that? Your guesses or dreams are as good as mine. Until then, we live our lives here on Earth, hopefully looking toward death in hope. Like children waiting for Christmas, we eagerly await that which Tolkien called the gift of men.

memento mori