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By J.D CW/TW: death, autopsy, etc. Death is a painful topic, you can’t use it in a normal conversation without feeling sad or alone. It is a part of life, and everyone loses something or someone they love.
Some people say that death is final, but it isn’t. It is the part of life where you cherish and celebrate and reminisce about the past with said person. In my previous article, I wrote that there are coping mechanisms for stalking someone, and the same applies to everything, even death. In my years of life, I’ve seen death. From my family, pets, idols, and celebrities. For this article, I’m going to talk about one person in particular and it isn’t a person at all! It’s a… dolphin. Her name was Winter, she was the most known dolphin at Clearwater Marine Aquarium in Clearwater, Florida. She starred in Dolphin Tale 1 and Dolphin Tale 2. She gave a lot of people hope. Ironically enough, Hope also happened to be her friend’s name who was rescued exactly 5 years and a day after Winter. Winter’s story starts out on December 10, 2005. She was 2 months old at the time of this. It was a relatively cold morning in the state of Florida, with the highs around 70 degrees hitting in the afternoon. Winter ended up passing away at 16 years old due to intestinal abnormality (her intestines got twisted). Before her death, Winter inspired many people. Including me. I found out about Winter in 2013 in my second grade class. We had to research about animals and I came across a book with her on the cover. Fast forward to fourth grade and I was OBSESSED with her. Winter's death affected me because I never got to meet Winter, but even though her ashes are back home in the ocean, I will still continue to love her. Her memories will be remembered for years. Even though I never met Winter, I did find a few ways to get closer to her. I have dolphin fluke necklaces and stuffed dolphins named Winter (some of them are named after other animals at CMA). In the end, I got closer to Winter. It gave me a little bit of closure since then but nowadays, I still have days where I am sad and that I should've met her. I realized that even if you never met someone you had a deep regard for, you can still be close with them. Life is hard. I’ll tell you that, and everyone dies. It’s a part of the circle of life. You can sit and cry over it, or remember them the way they wanted to be remembered. There is a song called Safe by Westlife that was featured in the Dolphin Tale credits that I’ll remember as “Winter’s song” for the rest of my life. Rest in peace Winter (Oct. 10, 2005 - Nov. 11, 2021)
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By Kavy Death is the inevitable truth and very often I find myself caught in the thought of what a soul feels or thinks when it's locked away in a casket. The thought of dying scares the shit out of people while I find it quite fascinating, how years of living (or maybe existing) ends in a matter of seconds. I wonder if there's an afterlife or if our soul is trapped in this world with eternal peace and tranquillity filled with regrets and remorse.
Here's my perspective on a soul locked in a casket: I look around and I see nothing but darkness, I stretch my hands to feel that I'm locked in a casket, I knock on the wood to realize that I'm all alone, I try to get up and my soul leaves me, My soul has left my body, I am dead. I can't believe it but I pass through the soil, I witness a bunch of anthills from the depths and I realize that nothing is how it appears to be. I rise through the soil looking at the roots of the trees wondering if I could have had such strong roots, I come up to the surface and I don't feel the raindrops on my face, I look around and see no one but my name on the grave, I wonder if they're sad, I wonder if my friend stayed after everyone left, I wonder if my parents are okay, I wonder if anyone will remember me, The rain fades away, the sunrays passing through the rainbow entangled within the clouds I wish I could have witnessed this, while I could still feel the light. Is this what being dead feels like, Being at peace while being trapped in regrets. The never-ending thought of whether or not I will be remembered, or did I even do something worth being remembered? I wish I could have been alive a little more, I wish I could have made my parents proud, I wish I could kiss her forehead for one last time, I wish I could have lived my life a little more, Well, I died early, I hope you live your life to the fullest in your own way. Life is unpredictable as hell, death could knock at your door at any moment. Find your way of living and make sure your soul rests in peace without being trapped in regrets. By Mel I never thought I'd be writing about this, about how I lost my grandad all of a sudden just a week ago. I can't explain the numbness I have experienced this past week. It feels like I'm stuck in a time warp. My partner told me about the stages of grief. I didn't want to accept the fact that I lost a loved one. Even one week on, I had to get away from reality, so I decided to stay with my friend in London. It's just what I needed to see my best friend and be in my happy place.
Reading through the stages of grief I wanted to talk through each one and how it's going to affect me but also how I'm going to confront it. Denial: Initially, there's a sense of disbelief or denial of the reality of the situation. When I first heard from the nurse of his passing I went straight to him and I lay with him, telling him repeatedly, “It should be me in that bed not you.” I told him, “I would take your place in a heartbeat if that meant you living your life.” My partner was there whilst I was in denial for a few days later, he told me to recognize that denial is a normal part of the grieving process. This was the starting process of confronting denial. After that, I went on letting my emotions out and not holding them back as this would build a big wall and it would come crumbling down if you kept on holding it back. Anger: As reality sets in, one can feel anger and frustration, often directed at oneself, others, or even the situation itself. A few days after his passing there was anger within the family against me after a post I put up about my grandad’s passing stating, “Rest in Peace Grandad.” Long story short, they were not happy with me putting it public. At that moment, I was full of anger, but now, looking back, I understand where they were coming from. That’s when I understood the root of the problem and how I could help manage it. Bargaining: This stage involves trying to negotiate or make deals in an attempt to change the outcome or alleviate the pain. This stage hit me hard, as I was experiencing suicidal thoughts. I went as far as planning my death when I went down to London. I planned to jump off London Bridge or jump in front of a train in the underground. Bargaining often focuses on past events or an imagined alternative outcome. So I do still believe I am at this stage or somewhat experiencing it. Depression: As the full weight of the loss or change is felt, sadness and depression can set in. This stage is about coming to terms with the reality of the situation. Coming to terms with what has happened was hard, very hard to the point where I felt like I was in a bubble for a good week. What I mean is, in my world “bubble” is where I was very gullible. I think the way I went about dealing with this was by taking that trip to London to distract myself. To be with my best friend in the city I love, getting away from reality for a while. At the time I felt selfish by doing it and leaving my family back at home, but it was what I needed and my family supported my decision. Acceptance: Finally, there's a stage of acceptance where there's a more peaceful understanding and acceptance of the new reality. I’m still experiencing this stage as it’s relatively new to me. I believe this won’t happen until his funeral and that’s not just for me, but also for my family to come to terms with his passing too. Confronting acceptance in grief is one of the hardest yet most healing parts of the process. Acceptance doesn’t mean forgetting or being "okay" with the loss—it means acknowledging the reality and learning to live with it. The five stages of grief offer a framework that helps us understand and navigate the complex emotions that accompany loss. From denial to acceptance, each stage represents a vital part of the healing process, allowing individuals to gradually come to terms with their new reality. As humans, we all need the comfort of people from time to time. Often, it’s not just those we always confide in but also the people in the background; the people we smile and nod to at family gatherings, the people who accompany us during vacations. We seemingly disregard them because on the surface, we don’t need them; they aren’t the people we celebrate our achieved goals with or those we unburden ourselves to. No, they’re simply just there. Through the good and the bad. They’re always just there and it provides us with a sort of unspoken security to remind ourselves of that. But what happens when they aren’t there anymore? Grief in itself is a complicated concept to come to terms with especially since it’s disturbing to think that someone’s complete life history can be reduced to a package of memories within a split second. Nevertheless, it is difficult to confront complex emotions forming over the loss of a loved one to whom you were never close to. Perhaps, you had held onto the hope of forming a relationship with that person and now they’ve died, you’re grieving the loss of a bond you could have had; the longing for what could have been. ‘I’ve got some important exams this week so I’ll be sure to call the hospital and check up on him in a few days.’ Then we’re left helpless; standing in silence at their funeral, with the final lingering thought being, ‘I could have done more.’ I was awoken by the cries of my mum. To some extent, I already knew why but I didn’t say anything. I didn’t even know what to think. I just lay in my bed, staring at my ceiling. But I still can’t register what exactly his last words to me were. He was in pain. I could feel his voice shaking as he talked to me through the phone. It took me back to the moments where he’d sit under the comfort of the same bristly chair, amused by the actions of counterparts in black and white movies. He’d sit there day in and day out, occasionally checking the lottery results. We didn’t always talk but when he knew I’d be around, he’d boil broccoli and leave several out on the table for me. I’m struggling to find the words to describe him. I never really understood him and I’m not sure if I ever will. Yet he will always remain a wonderful man to me, my granddad. Grief and guilt, love and loss; they’re all feelings. Feelings need to be validated and although it will be hard, we need to find ways to accept and move forward with these feelings. You need to acknowledge that it is completely natural to feel grief for not only those closest to us but also those we wish we could have been closer to. After all, we are only humans yearning for love. R.I.P. Ponnampalam Sellaiah, 1953-2021 Helplines: SANE Emotional support, information and guidance for people affected by mental illness, their families and carers. Textcare: comfort and care via text message, sent when the person needs it most: www.sane.org.uk/textcare Peer support forum: www.sane.org.uk/supportforum Website: www.sane.org.uk/support Mind Promotes the views and needs of people with mental health problems. Phone: 0300 123 3393 (Monday to Friday, 9am to 6pm) Website: www.mind.org.uk CALM CALM is the Campaign Against Living Miserably. A charity providing a mental health helpline and webchat. Phone: 0800 58 58 58 (daily, 5pm to midnight) Website: www.thecalmzone.net
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Teenagers With Experience is an online organisation created to provide teenagers worldwide with an online platform to share their own experiences to be able to help, inform and educate others on a variety of different topics. We aim to provide a safe space to all young people. You can contact us via email, social media or our contact form.
Please note that the content on this website is created by teenagers. While we strive to provide accurate and helpful information, it is important to remember that we are not professional experts. If you are experiencing a crisis or need professional advice, please reach out to a qualified mental health professional or a helpline. |