I’ve contemplated writing this post for the last year or so, but have never quite gotten around to it. The views expressed in this post are of myself and many people I know. By “we” I refer to many many people in general, but I realise that not everyone feels this way.

Firstly I want to talk about life. New life in fact. Babies, if you will. What is it that “we” find so fascinating about babies? What makes “us” go ga-ga over them? They’re everywhere! I see babies almost every day being pushed or carried around by their Mum or Dad (or their nanny in New York!) and every time I see one, I go all gooey inside. Now before you blame my biological clock (tick tock tick tock), I have to point out 2 things:

1. I’ve ALWAYS been like this
2. I’m not the only one who starts pulling funny faces whenever there’s a baby around


4.3 new babies are born every second!! Babies are common. And I don’t mean in the chav sense of the word, I just mean they are a dime a dozen, yet every baby is a miracle and something to be in awe of. “We” will never get over the wonder that is the warm bundle of goodness wrapped up in a blanket. *sigh*

And then there’s the other end of a life. Death. Again, death is so common. Around 2 people die every second of every day. As my Dad says, “Death is a part of life.” People go through stages of grief that are often unbearable. I can’t imagine this level of grief, but I know that sooner or later, I’ll have to deal with it. I have known people who have died and I have bawled my eyes out at their funeral. I know a lot of these tears have been for their families – a lot of my grief in these instances has been out of empathy for their loved ones left behind. But I also believe in a life after this one, which brings comfort in the midst of the heartache.

I feel I am categorically ill-equipped and unqualified to speak with any level of authority, on such life-changing experiences, even though I have witnessed a birth (the second most amazing thing I’ve ever experienced. The first being the commitment I made to Hubs on our wedding day) and have grieved over death. It’s just one of those things I find fascinating. We are mesmerised by birth and can be broken by death. We are captivated by the face of a newborn, and can be scarred for life by the death of a loved one.

We rejoice in the start of a new life, and I like to think we can rejoice in a celebration of a life that has ended.