Emotions invoked by death

Death is a strange creature. She may be feared and fought or desired and welcomed. She knows no class boundaries or prejudices. Death’s effects are felt long before we experience death ourselves. No one is immune to its power.

A Light Goes Out

A friend of mine is gone. I was privileged to be part of her passing, a process that started with her decision to quit chemotherapy, progressed to her move into hospice, and culminated with her last breath. Sitting alone with her lifeless body, I began to wonder when the spirit leaves. When exactly does the light go out?