In Lieu of Flowers

by Kaitlyn Kuker

I was enrolled in a social work class during my sophomore year, in which I learned about invisible death and feelings that accompany the denial of death, especially in the United States. American society is fascinated with the idea of death, our relationship with it having been determined by factors like industrialization, modern medicine, the modern family, and largely, through our consumption of media. From the time we are small until the day we die, death surrounds us, yet we are numb to it, often denying it when it touches our lives. Herman Feifel, editor of the book The Meaning of Death said, “I believe that how we regard and how we treat the dying and survivors are prime indications of a civilization’s intention and target. In emphasizing awareness of death, we sharpen and intensify our appreciation of the uniqueness and preciousness of life.” This work is an attempt to confront death in hopes of increasing the extent to which we live and care for our dying.