It’s always surprising to see human beings who go through tremendous struggle, and even when facing death still view life without any bitterness. Take the recent Esquire feature on Roger Ebert, where amongst other things he discusses the end:
I know it is coming, and I do not fear it, because I believe there is nothing on the other side of death to fear, he writes in a journal entry titled “Go Gently into That Good Night.” I hope to be spared as much pain as possible on the approach path. I was perfectly content before I was born, and I think of death as the same state. What I am grateful for is the gift of intelligence, and for life, love, wonder, and laughter. You can’t say it wasn’t interesting. My lifetime’s memories are what I have brought home from the trip. I will require them for eternity no more than that little souvenir of the Eiffel Tower I brought home from Paris.
Ebert is an incredible human being, and if you still haven’t come across his blog, here you go. The archives are well worth the time.
