Death and Rebirth: The 13th Hour

The number 13. The subject of so much suspision and controversy – and rightfully so. 13 is a powerful number, it’s the number of death and rebirth. Death is required for rebirth. When a tree falls and begins to decompose it becomes the host of new life. Death is essential; death is a service to all. However, every living thing is encoded to fight death. Humans, though, are the only ones with the means to truly hold on for longer. This is the wrong way to look at life and morality – in a way that suggests that when we die we are dead.

We can look at any living animal as a tool for spreading DNA. It is not our bodies that are important, it is carrying on the line of DNA. Each generation adds its own special mark, thus each generation is immortal and lives within you. In a very physical sense we are immortal. We are our children. Life goes in cycles, and for humans it is three cycles. In order they are childhood, adulthood, and the elderly years. With each cycle brings more understanding. As a child everything is new and our goal is to understand the physical world.

We have parents who understand, and they see us grow as they never understood themselves growing when they were young.

I am saddened at times because I will never know my girlfriend, who I love immensely, as a kid growing up. Then I remember and am reassured because when we have a child it will be like watching both of us grow up. That is the beauty of the cycles of life - we experience everything.

When finally we age and become old, we understand the wisdom that comes with it. I am still young, but I can imagine become old as both frustrating and satisfying. Frustrating because you aren’t as active anymore – it becomes hard to see and hear and to interact with the youths. It’s satisfying because you finally have understanding of the human condition and you see the cycle in its entirety. What happens after death is a great mystery, but with the knowledge that you played your part in life you can now trust that your part in death will be
equally as profound.

This is the 13th hour. The hour our egos fear but our spirit knows is unavoidable and in fact quite beautiful. It is when we give back.