I am no stranger to death. I've buried my share of family. I've lost brothers in arms. I've even been trained to deal it from behind the pull of a trigger. I've cleaned up those who have passed as a nurse aid in preparation for the family to come see. Tonight though was a first in my list of experiences.

There was this elderly woman that I've taken care of in my place of work for over two years now. We had been expecting her to go. She had no family. We were all that sat by her bedside, myself and the fellow nursing staff. There was another nurse, two of us were required to confirm her passing, and a couple aids that were not busy at that point in time. In that point in time, we were her family.

This was the first time I've sat and watched somebody pass into whatever it is that awaits us. I watched on as her vision became unfocused, and her pupils dilated. I watched on and waited as her breaths became more and more shallow, further and further apart. I sat there holding her hand while another of the nursing staff put their hand upon her shoulder. I watched as her last breath came, and we counted the seconds.

When we deemed enough time had passed, I placed my stethoscope upon her chest, saying that I heard nothing. The second nurse in the room did the same. Whatever conscious had resided within that shell dwelt there no more. Death had visited that room. I felt a mixture of emotions that I had not felt before and still know not entirely what to make of them. It was a bit of a humbling experience. I know this will not be the last time I sit in on such an event. This is the career that I have chosen to follow that I have been called into.

This, my innmates, are just my thoughts. Felt they needed to be shared and didn't quite know where to share them, so here they are.

Thanks for sharing that, Vesper.

It's a strange thing, dying, which none of us can truly understand. Yes, of course we know that the body stops functioning. But what really happens is the last mystery in life, I suppose. Thinking about that makes you see what is really important. Not your house, not your car, but the fact that you are, indeed, alive, and conscious of it.

Cherish that.