The sacred and eternal dance

Dancing to a melody that is ancient yet not dated, two partners swirl about each other, sometimes embracing, sometimes pushing away. The two are opposites, yet one could not exist without the other. The incredible vastness of their stage spreads over the world itself because no earthly being can escape the sacred dance between life and death.

Existing in a perfectly devastating equilibrium, life offers itself for death to take, and in turn, death gives life room to grow and progress. Of the two, life is often seen as the beautiful one, celebrated for the light and cheer that it offers the world, whereas death is resented for its dark, cold fingers that always seem to close their grip too early. However, it mustn't be forgotten that the partners in this sacred and eternal dance have a balance, each one both glorious and wretched in their own way. The face of life is a precious picture of youth and hope, yet it is flecked with gnarled gashes of sin, hate and betrayal. Eye to eye with life, the face of death looks on with a mask bleak and grim, yet in the gloominess behind it lies a cool, uninterruptible tranquility, and a peacefulness that will never be attained by the living.

In a world where only joy exists, joy can be known, but never appreciated in the way that it is in a world where there is also tragedy. Life and death are not so different in the way that death's shadowy presence in the corner of a room lit by the living reminds us to enjoy the time that we've been given. The knowledge that we shall all one day step over the crack in the floor from light to dark should be incentive to enjoy life while its fruits are ours to take, and though full control of one's life may be impossible, it does not deem us powerless. With its invaluable gifts, life also brings ugly and horrible things, and the power lies in choosing whether we want to become the darkness and bring it upon those around us like a nasty scourge, or if we will allow ourselves to be pulled back into the light and do the same for others. It is true that all lives end and most are forgotten, yet death reminds us that life is a gift that is only given once. It is up to us to decide who it is that we want to be, and who it is that we want to be remembered by when the all-black coach comes to claim us forever.