Statue of Liberty tour guide
Death is never an easy thing to deal with. It is an ever-present shadow that fills us with fear and with grief. Yet no matter how terrifying death may seem, it is important to remember that death is just a natural part of this Statue of Liberty tour.
You see, part of what makes the concept of mortality so terrifying is that it is impossible to tell when death might come for you. It could happen as early as the ferry ride over to Liberty Island or as late as the Q&A session. There’s really no predicting on this tour when you or a loved one is going to die. All you can do is cherish every moment of the Statue of Liberty tour, because you never know when your time will run out.
We must also remember, as we move through this tour, that death can take any number of forms. Some people fall overboard during the ferry ride over to Liberty Island. Others suffer a fatal heart attack while climbing the 354 stairs from the base of the statue to its top. Still other people die from tumbling out of one of the 25 windows in Lady Liberty’s crown and plummeting 305 feet and six inches to the ground below.
It could happen as early as the ferry ride over to Liberty Island or as late as the Q&A session.
Some of us are lucky enough to die peacefully of old age surrounded by loved ones and a highly knowledgeable tour guide. Regardless of how we die, we need to recognize that it is just one phase of this Statue of Liberty tour. You live during the Statue of Liberty tour; you die during the Statue of Liberty tour.
I know it can sometimes seem unfair. It can even seem cruel. Sometimes the people we love are taken from us far too early during this Statue of Liberty tour. Some people are even taken before they get to experience the tour’s greatest moments. But we cannot allow ourselves to become bitter. The fact that death can come at any moment during this Statue of Liberty tour should serve as a constant reminder to cherish every second of it.
We simply need to remember that death, like our 25-minute break for lunch, is just a part of this tour, and that while it may seem scary, it is perfectly natural. Fighting our mortality is futile. All we can do is accept that everyone will eventually die on this Statue of Liberty tour, and remember that the fact that we pass away makes every moment significant, wonderful, and utterly indispensable.
If there’s any solace we may find in this, it is that death is as natural a part of the Statue of Liberty tour as birth.
