What I would do with the remaining time if found out to have only 24 hours to live - Assignment Example

What I would do with the remaining time if found out to have only 24 hours to live Thinking about death is one of the most painful and scary experiences in human life. However, it is important for everyone to understand that death is a reality and inevitable. Therefore, having proper preparation for death is very important, especially for those who know the amount of time remaining for them to live. Despite the fact that my doctor’s pronunciation has taken me by surprise and I must die within the next 24 hours, I strongly believe that this is the time for me to focus on physical, spiritual, family and emotional issues. Knowing that I have lived my life imperfectly before my creator, I will dedicate a lot of my last moments in prayer and repentance. Although it will be difficult to praise and worship God, I will try to dedicate some moments to focus on my life and praise and worship God for the time He gave me on earth. I will also delve into scriptures for reassurance about a brighter future after death. I will as much as possible make my path straight before God so that my eternity may be spent in paradise. The reality of death is a harsh one even to the bravest of people. This being the case, I have no doubt that I feel very scared about the whole experience of dying. I imagine myself kicking and struggling to disentangle myself from the grip of death in vain. I imagine seeing my mother and close family members weeping at the news of my death. I wish I was never born in the first place so that I would not have to endure the pain of death. Stressed about having to leave my loved ones behind shortly, I will try and share my last moments in the company of my family and closest friends. I will take some time to share my goals, expectations, and concerns with them to ensure that I leave everything in order. Since most families tend to engage in a dispute over sharing of properties after their beloved ones have passed on, my first move will be to avoid such happenings by drafting a will. In the will I will direct how I would wish my property to be shared among my family members. I will also detail my debts and obligations to other people and instruct my family to repay the debts and if possible fulfill the obligations that I will not have fulfilled within the time left. In addition to the will, I will write a letter of instructions. The letter of instruction will help my family make decisions at the end of my life, and once I am gone. In the letter of instruction, I will include a list of names and phone numbers of those I want to be contacted after my death. To ease the tension that I am feeling, I take a short walk around our garden and within town alone. As I walk about, I will focus on what life is all about and how I spent my life. I will take note of my achievements and failures and try to convince myself that I did my part in life the best I could albeit as an imperfect person. In overall, I will pray that my eternal destiny would be a good one. # 2. My Funeral Plan Funeral is one of the most important stages in a person’s “life”. Once a person is dead, the next stage is usually to organize a funeral service in accordance with the deceased’s wishes. However, in order for the funeral service to be conducted in accordance with the deceased’s desires, it is important for the deceased to live behind a plan of funeral service, stating how he/she wants the service conducted. However, very few people normally get the chance to draft their funeral plan. I am among the lucky few who have had the opportunity to write a funeral plan. Below is a plan of how I want my funeral service conducted once I am dead and gone. I would like to be given a decent send off once I am dead. Immediately I am pronounced dead, my body should be taken to the private wing of a mortuary where my body will be well preserved. I would not wish to have my loved ones see my body in bad shape when I am gone. I wish to see my funeral attended by as many of my friends and acquaintances as possible. For this reason, I will love my death and funeral announced in at least one national newspaper and online. I wish to have my body to put in a hever coffin embellished with different decorations, which would cost approximately ?150. I would wish my body to be transported in a Mercedes limousine (my dream car during my lifetime) and the motorcade accompanying the hearse should comprise at least 20 cars. I estimate the cost of my funeral to ? 2000. My wish is to have my body taken to my local Church in New York for a requiem mass. During the mass, I would like some specific songs to be sung, among them being “All Things Bright and Beautiful”, 23rd Psalm, Vivaldi’s “Spring On Exit”, and “Comforter” by CeCe Winans, and "I Will Rise" by Chris Tomlin. I wish to have a colorful obituary read during the mass and speeches about my achievements and successes made by a few of my loved ones. After the mass, the cortege will be transported to Calvary cemetery for burial. In this regard, my body should not be cremated whatsoever. This is in line with my cultural beliefs and traditions, which demands that my body be given a descent send off through burial. Before my I am finally laid to rest, I wish to have family members and friends have a short prayer session. One of the poems I would like read during this season of prayer is Mother Theresa’s poem “Do it Anyway”. I will also love to have the song "I Will Rise" by Chris Tomlin sang at my funeral. I will love to leave my loved ones a message of hope and encourage them to do good at all times through the poem and song. Although my funeral will be a somber occasion, I would love that those who participate in it make it as bearable as possible, emotionally. Once this is done, family members, friends and relatives should be given a chance to lay flowers on my tomb, which is to be cemented on a later date. #3. My Obituary In the morning of August 20, 2102, xxxxxyour name- Lincoln xxxx passed on at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MA, aged 105 years. His death occurred as a result of lung cancer - a disease he was diagnosed with in 2101. Lincoln was born on 21 April, 1997 to the late Terry and Lucy Brown in Saddle Brook, New Jersey. He joined xxxx primary school in 2002 and sat fr his final examinations in 2008. He joined xxxx high school in 2009 and graduated from the same school in 2013. Lincoln who had a passion for Physical Therapy joined Eastern Washington University in 2014 and later graduated with a first class honors in Physical Therapy. In the course of time, Lincoln pursued and earned a master degree in Physical Therapy from the University of Puerto Rico. Lincoln worked as a Physical Therapist with the Southern New Hampshire Medical Center between 2018 and 2020. He gradually rose through the ranks to become the organization’s manager, a position he held until his retirement in 2047. He was known in the organization for being industrious, diligent, result-oriented, and a good and reliable team player. While working for the medical centre, he was able to significantly improve the fortunes of the company and make major contributions toward the organization’s efficiency and world class service delivery. For these and other contributions, Lincoln earned numerous accolades and recognition in the company and the country at large. Owing to his passion for the welfare of children, Lincoln founded the Saddle Brook Children’s Home in 2045 to assist the underprivileged in society. He acted as one of the directors of the organization from the time of its establishment until 2077 when he retired from the job. Lincoln married the late Lucy Smith, one of his long time college friends in 2018. Three years later, in 2021, the couple was blessed with a single child, Mercy. The couple had their second child in 2024. Lincoln raised his family in New Hampshire often travelling to different parts of the world to impact the lives of people in need. Apart from engaging in his career as a physical therapist, Lincoln established a business empire that is known across the United States. After his retirement from active work, Lincoln settled in his ranch in New Jersey, managing his business empire with the help of his employees. Lincoln is honored in New Jersey for contributing toward the establishment of several medical centers that serve locals with different ailments. Lincoln enjoyed traveling and exploring new places during my lifetime. He often made use of the opportunity he had to tour the world. Some of his happiest times as recorded in his diary are during his cruise trips around the world with his wife and children. Lincoln also enjoyed reading, listening to music and riding horses. In all his endeavors, Lincoln always sought peace and strived to make the world a better place to live in. His love for God was evident as he never missed an opportunity to attend Sunday service when he was in good health. Lincoln struggled with several diseases as he grew older and older until he finally succumbed to lung cancer. Lincoln is survived by his wife, Lucy, daughter, Mercy, and Son, Jonathan. He is also survived by four grandchildren and 12 grandchildren and 30 great grandchildren. #4. My Dougy Lettter “What is the meaning of life and why do we have to die?” People have struggled for several years to tackle the question, “What is the meaning of life?” In fact, even wars have been fought regarding the question. However, this is natural as different people assign the question different meanings and therefore different answers. So far, different people including scientists and philosophers have attempted to provide answers to the question. For example, according to Charles Darwin, people are in the world because of evolution (Benatar 13). According to the evolution theory, the meaning of life has to do with survival and reproduction. This can be explained in terms of adaptations. For instance, Darwin noted that a giraffe has a long neck to enable it feed on leaves high on trees and so is man who lives his life because of adaptation to the environment (Benatar, 13). Secondly, the meaning of life has a religious perspective. This is one of the widely accepted answers to the question as to why people are here on earth. According to most Western religions, we live to serve or submit to God. According to Islam, the life is all about submission (Benatar 20). In this regard, it is a strongly held view that human beings are created to serve and submit to God. This entails fulfilling the purpose for which man was created. For instance, according to Biblical teachings, in Genesis, after God had created everything and seen how beautiful his creation was, he created man on the sixth day to look after all that he had created (Benatar 21). Therefore, the meaning of life has to do with looking after the planet and all that is in it. Therefore, man is under an obligation to fight for the life on earth not only for oneself, but also for others, who came before, those to whom we are beholden, and those who will come after us, in case we are wise enough. Why do we have to die?” Death is certainly one of the most feared and hated aspect of human life. As a result, people spend much of their time trying to avoid it. However, it is time we contend that death is inevitable and all of us will have to die at one time. To understand why people have to die, it is important for us to look at the origin of death. The Bible tells us that, at the beginning, God created Adam and Eve and placed them in the Garden of Eden filled with a variety of trees and fruits. God then commanded them not to eat the fruit of the tree at the middle of the garden failure to which they would die. Adam and Eve disobeyed this command, ate the forbidden fruit and consequently death came to the earth. Therefore, because man sinned, God deprived man access to the fruit of life and declared that it is not proper for sinners to have eternal life. As a result, people die mainly because of sins. At the same time, since all of us commit sin, we must all die (Benatar 31). The other reason why people have to die is probably that we wear out. Human body do not last long, as we see a majority of us begin to wear at their seventies. As soon as the wearing out reaches its peak, an individual dies. This explains why people hardly reach 130 years of age. #5. Cemetery Visit Calvary Cemetery 49-02 Laurel Hill Boulevard Woodside, NY 11377. There are several cemeteries in the United States. I had the opportunity to visit is the Calvary Cemetery located at the Woodside-Long Island City area of the Borough of Queens, New York on a 350-acres of land subdivided into 71 sections for ground burial (Ardolina 2). The cemetery is one of the largest and oldest in the country, owned and run by the Trustees of Saint Patrick Cathedral under the Archdiocese of New York. The cemetery is divided into four subdivisions, which is very important for one needs to be aware of and how to locate. The cemetery’s offices are located at the Second Calvary. Generally, four routes exist that can easily get an individual to the cemetery. One of the easiest ways of getting to the cemetery is by approaching it from Midtown Manhattan. In this regard, one will have to use the Queensboro (59th Street) bridge, all the way to Queens Boulevard. From Queens Boulevard, one needs to proceed to the cemetery’s entrance located at the 52nd Street. While within the cemetery, one will easily see the office locations indicated by posting signs (Ardolina 2). Secondly, the Calvary cemetery can be approached from Brooklyn & Staten Island. This involves using the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (Route 278) all the way to the 48 Street. Once here, an individual will have to turn left and proceed to the traffic lights located on the 48th Street. Once at the traffic light, turn right to Laurel Hill Boulevard, which takes one directly to the cemetery offices located just one-half block ahead (Ardolina 2). Thirdly, the cemetery can be reached from Eastern Queens & Long Island. This involves using the Long Island Expressway (Route 495) all the way to the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (Route 278). From here, proceed to the 48th street and move along to the intersection and then to the exit ramp to the traffic light. From here, proceed through Laurel Hill Boulevard to the offices of the cemetery located just one-half block ahead on the right hand side (Ardolina 3). Lastly, the cemetery can be accessed from Westchester & the Bronx. This involves taking the Robert F. Kennedy (Triboro) Bridge and proceeding all through to the Grand Central Parkway. Once here, exit on the Brooklyn Queen Expressway (Route 278) and continue to Exit 39E (Queens Boulevard & 58th Street). Proceed straight to the exit ramp where the office cemetery is visible (Ardolina 3). The cemetery is one of the best managed in the country and has handled over 3 million burials since its opening. So far, the cemetery still has enough space capable of burring more than 2 million people on the four subdivisions. Typically, most graves on site are cemented and painted white. In addition, a majority of the graves have crosses, which signifies that cemetery is meant for Christian faithful. The oldest grave for Esther Ennis who died of heart failure and buried at the cemetery in 1848 is one among the most preserved graved on site (Ardolina 5). Like many other graves on the cemetery, the grave is painted in white and christened the name of the deceased, Esther Ennis. Within the cemetery stands the Calvary Monument in honor of the 69th Regiment (Ardolina 6). In addition, the cemetery also contains the statue of Union soldier in remembrance of the civil war. Both the statue and the monument all stand approximately 30% from the ground. From the look of things, the markers used in the statues appear to very visible and do not require repairs whatsoever. Certainly, Calvary is the cemetery that I would want to be buried once I pass on. This is because the cemetery is located in a very conducive and safe environment. In addition, the Cathedral of New York properly has ensured that the graves are properly managed. In addition, the cemetery is easily accessible by a number of roads. Further, the cemetery has enough space for burial, making it the best cemetery I would wish to be buried. Overall, the cemetery tells us that society values their loved ones and tries as much as possible to provide a descent send off. The cemetery also shows that society is culturally diverse. This is evident from the fact that the cemetery also has graves of people of Christian religion. There is no sign of an Islamic grave in the cemetery. Works Cited Ardolina, Rosemary M. Second Calvary Cemetery: New Yorkers carved in stone. New York, NY: Delia Publications, 2000. Print. Benatar, David. Life, Death, & Meaning: Key Philosophical Readings on the Big Questions. Hoboken, NJ: Rowman & Littlefield, 2010. Print. Appendix 1: Map of Calvary Cemetery Read More