It is important to recognize death, even if you don’t understand or accept it. At some point the reality of limited time will catch up with all of us and make it impossible to dodge any longer the question of how you spend your remaining time. Your purpose and priorities will come front and center, and how you allot your time should be consisted with your values and where you find meaning in life.
Death can be a teacher, and when you are faced with this lesson, you can appreciate that “It’s never too late to be what you might have been.” George Elliot
Other lessons include: “It is only when you are no longer afraid to die that you can say you are truly alive.” Rabbi Kushner
“Only in the agony of parting do we look into the depths of love.” George Elliot
“Death, and its ever-present possibility makes love, passionate love, more possible. I wonder if we could love passionately, if ecstasy would be possible at all, if we knew we’d never die.” Abraham Maslow.
Love doesn’t die, people do.
Some exercises include: Write your own epitaph, and the three words you would want on your tombstone.
List three things you want to stop doing, and then three things you want to start doing.
“Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon? Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Mary Oliver
The Journey Home 
Great Post! I agree. Marcus Aurelius (the most famous of all the Stoics) said “It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live. Do not act as if you were going to live ten thousand years.”
Because you have a philosophical nature and have directly addressed the topic of death, I have question I wish to ask you. What is appropriate to say to someone in the process of “Recognizing Death?”
Being past an age where my friends’ topic of conversation is no longer “when are you getting married?” Now it’s “Did you hear so and so just died?” I’m searching for a reaction that would help, not hurt. Be supportive, but not intrusive. Offer comfort, but not be overly familiar.
There are lots of articles about what NOT to say or do, eg “They’re going to a better place,” or “I know just how you feel.” Or “Call if you need anything.”
Is humor allowed? Is sharing something good in “my” life painful or a welcome diversion? If someone ignores “the elephant in the room,” does that come as a relief or seen as rude?
If you had posed these questions to me I suppose I’d tell you: It just depends on the individual or The repetition of common comfort phrases may in fact be a comfort.
But somehow it just doesn’t feel like enough
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