Is death always sad?

I will give your name and number to my daughter, absent. At the moment, Juragran has my list of contacts.

Sigh.

I decided when my Dad died, 28 years ago, that he would come back as a swallow! Every Spring a swallow returns and sits on the wire outside my bathroom chattering away to me. Others then follow and nest in our barns. It's quite mad, I know , but pleases me. He's a bit late this year, though

That's lovely *grannylin'. My Dad died 12 years ago yesterday. Not quite sure if I could imagine him as a bird although I spent a long time watching a wren scratching about in the garden yesterday. I don't feel his presence but I do feel his influence daily. I don't feel J's spirit around me : he was here and then suddenly he wasn't although I do talk /shout at him and expect an answer which of course doesn't materialise

gally

There are of course different way for death to be sad. Losing your own loved ones is very different from the sadness you might feel on the death of someone you don't actually know. You can feel sad for friends when they loose someone and also for the loss of a well known personality who may have given you much enjoyment. I think the huge public outpouring of grief eg.Princess Diana, are OTT. Whilst sad for those close to they don't really effect most peoples lives. The death of renowned 'nasties' may prompt a feeling of relief but of course somewhere there may be family who feel very sad to have lost them. So, my answer to the OP is yes, at some level death is always sad.

No.
Not when its a very elderly person who has lived a long life.

My dad died of a rapid cancer at 86, and my mum two months later at 82, with dementia.She had been depressed for some years before and clearly miserable.
My dad had been incredibly fit and active until 4 months before he died.

Sudden death in those who are too young, for "old age" yes always.

For people of any age with a very debilitating illness not so much.
The concept of death as an end to suffering has to come into this as a relief.

My father died at 82 od oesophogeal cancer having beaten bowel cancer and prostate cancer earlier in his life.

He was unable to eat and virtually starved but he told me he was ready to go and we all had a chance to say goodbye to him. He was completely lucid, cheerful and interested in what was going on around him right util the end. Nevertheless, I was completely devastated when he was no longer there.

I miss him for his strength of character, his unfailing support, his wisdom and his love but, that is my problem, not his.

I was sad for Baroness Thatcher's family and, although i admired her tremendously, cannot say I was sad when i heard of her demise.

For those who are condemning her, by the way, how come she was democratically voted into office three times?

Nelliemoser, thank you so much for your timely post. " The concept of death as an end to suffering has to come into this as a relief" . I read it after two nights listening to Mr S screaming in agony. I have been feeling so guilty about thinking this but your words have helped me to accept this is what I am feeling.
I haven't had much time to look at GN lately . I was amazed to see how much support and good wishes I had in a previous post . I am so grateful to you all. Thank you

sewsilver

Sewsilver - we can only hope that the agony for your husband and yourself comes to an end soon. Can his doctors not give him increasing doses of analgesics, or have they been made too wary to help because of Shipman?

Grannylin very similar thoughts about my Dad as you about yours. I say "Good Morning William" to the little robin who appears daily in my garden.

Sewsilver Nobody should have to put up with pain of that magnitude.

We are told by people who oppose assisted suicide that nobody has to be in pain - this is quite clearly not true. The Liverpool Care Pathway looks increasingly kind to me.

The death of my son from cot death was devastating. A death that comes silently and steals a life full of potential is a terrible thing. On the other hand my when my uncle died it was the end of a very sad phase. My uncle had Alzheimers and he had gone long before his body died. We had all done our grieving years before.