I was hit by a drunk driver nearly 24 years ago. I was flown on the Flight for Life and my family was called to "see me one last time." I guess I fooled them. I woke up a month later in traction and on a ventilator. When I woke up, it never even occurred to me to pray. I mostly thought about my kids, and I did what I had to do to get sprung from the hospital. A lot of people would tell me how lucky I was, and that "someone" was watching over me. Whatever. I was lucky to have good doctors and nurses. If someone were watching over me, I wouldn't have been plowed by a drunk driver. Period.

As Nurse for many years I saw people die, I sat with them as they died, I did the usual 'laying out' of the body prior to it going to the Morgue. I saw death as being Not an enemy or something to fear but a release from suffering and pain, etc.
As a Parent I spent the last 12 months of my 16 year old daughters life by her side 24/7 as she underwent Chemotherapy for Lymphatic Cancer, together we met and got to know other children and teenagers going through much similar cancers and treatments and Yes even knew some who also passed away.
Yes I grieved with those parents and I grieved long, hard and deeply when my daughter passed away and I still do mourn her, think about her and remember both the hard times and the fun times we had together.
But I still see death as a 'friend' of sorts and not an enemy.

I had a post on here somewhere about being at deaths door in 1952 from double pneumonia and measles the doctor was worried my relatives were worried and I was pretty much out of it and energy-less I remember being so wiped out that I couldn't swallow or talk taking the medicine was awful as it left my mouth so dry and I really think it would have been easy to slip away because I so didnt have energy to care. I have been in other near death situations -I haven't ever courted danger but it seems to dog me - but after that first big one I somehow got over the fear. I recognised death at an early age. now I am old I still recognise it and its a good reminder to be living.

I had a diving accident 40 years ago. From my knowledge base at that moment I knew I had about 5 minutes to live. I did start thinking of things in my past and friends I had made. This "review" held the solution to my problem. At no time did I think of a superior being helping me or did I think about praying.

I see death as spark to my curiosity. Only the dead know what happens afterwards.

I also see it as blissful. Pain will no longer hurt and I'll be done. That's not to say I don't fear death, however. When I almost died I wasn't ready. I had many experiences I still wanted to have.

After my last surgery I stopped breathing. For a while I felt total bliss and I knew if I didn't breathe soon I'd die, but I didn't really care because I was so comfortable. If that's what death feels like, then I'm sure I could accept it

I've had a few close calls. At the time, my focus was getting through it. A couple examples right off the top of my head were nearly drowning and a sudden gall bladder infection that was so severe that it nearly ruptured before I went to the ER.

In both cases, I just concentrated on what I had to do. In the case of neatly drowning it was more intense, but I didn't resort to praying, bargaining, or begging for my life with an imaginary or indifferent deity. I was more an atheistic agnostics during the water incident and atheist when I had the gall bladder attack.