Death

I've been contemplating death lately. Every night before bed, I read a small section of Awakening the Buddha Within by Lama Surya Das, meditate for ten minutes, and then go to sleep.

I've been reading the part about death this week. We necessarily live in death's shadow, but we usually ignore it. I think the Buddhists are right that contemplating death, really understanding that I will die, gives life more vibrance and takes away a lot of fear. On the other hand, I feel deeply sad knowing that every single person I love will also die.

While I hesitate to make this a Writing Assignment (sorry, I know, I owe y'all one), I'm curious as to your own take on death and how much, if at all, you've contemplated it. How does the knowledge of death influence your life?