Blog 3749 – 02.15.2026

Death Awaits Us All

In the last couple of days I have learned that two very dear friends that have been told by their doctors that death is near. Death awaits us all. My son and I were discussing yesterday how we would prefer to exit this life and both agreed on as quickly and as painlessly as possible. In Kenny Rogers’ song The Gambler after bumming a last shot of whisky and a cigarette gives the young man some sage advise about life and gambling specifically about knowing when to hold and when to fold, concluding that the best you can hope for  is to die in your sleep. The young man ends the song with the words, “Somewhere in the darkness the gambler he broke even.”

If have often heard it expressed that we do not get to choose the way we die. I do not believe that but with Tristan in The Legends of the Fall and the Klingons of Star Trek I think that finding a “good death” is our choice.

The Apostle Paul asks two questions regarding death and then answers them:

I am thinking of a line from the sixties song and movie Alfie where Dionne Warwick sings about love that it is “Something even non-believers can believe in.” Like many of you as a child and young adult I was taught to believe Paul’s words were the inspired Word of God. For a while I even believed like Paul that I was called to preach, but I no longer believe that to be true nor much of what I was taught to believe. Yet, I still believe in love and that like today’s song that we need to take this sinking boat and point it home while we’ve still got time.

I believe that our higher power is our higher and best self, the author and choreographer of these adventures in time and space from beginning to end. I think we do get to choose how the story ends just like the old gambler did.

Some people want to get to have plenty of time to set their house in order and say good-bye to all their family and friends. Never much for good-byes nor tidying-up for that matter, I am planning a quick and painless getaway. If you follow this daily blog you will be the first to know when I am gone.

I still have 6,252 blogs to go so I may be awhile.

Your friend and fellow traveler,

David James White

https://drive.google.com/file/d/18MqG6kj91vQxr37qag74yoMjdi_fv1or/view?usp=drivesdk

Take This Sinking Boat