Life and Death Group Guide
Volume XIII, Number III
Artwork by Anahis Luna, age 16
What defines a life well-lived? How do we make every moment count? Why do we fear death? In this brave issue, KidSpirit contributors face eternal questions of mortality head on. Join them as they reckon with these questions in expository writing, personal narratives, artwork, and poetry, then seek your own answers in dialogue with your group.
1. In the Big Question department, editor Zayna Mian joins a millennia-old debate about how a person can live a full life. In “How Do We Determine that We Have Really Lived?,” Zayna compares and contrasts wisdom from her elders, successful figures in fields like science and philanthropy, and her own experiences. Consider what ideas and experiences make your own life feel worthwhile. Swap answers with your peers and notice your similarities and differences. Do your answers reflect some common ideas about what makes a fulfilling life? Or are everyone’s answers highly individual?
2. In his Interfaith Connections article, “My Great-Grandmother’s Legacy,” Max Mesh draws clear connections between his great-grandmother’s worries about her family’s well-being, her early life marked by loss and scarcity, and his own upbringing to value family and carefully evaluate risk. Think about the elders in your family or community who influence you. What life values have they imparted to you? How do you see their influence affect your thoughts and actions? How did their own life experiences shape their worldview?
3. Lama Surya Das, a meditation master, poet, and spiritual leader in American Buddhism, contributes this issue’s PerSpectives article. In “What Is Death to Me?,” he urges all people to realize the interconnectedness of our lives on Earth. He shares an idea about a life’s purpose he calls the “Great Mutual Reciprocity,” saying that “unselfish service is the rent we pay for inhabiting this buddhafull blue and green, spinning globe.” Think about a time when you helped someone else without expecting anything in return. Even if you weren’t given a reward for your help, how did it feel to be generous with your time and energy? How does it feel when someone helps you unselfishly? Based on these experiences, does the “Great Mutual Reciprocity” resonate with your beliefs about life’s purpose?
