Rachel's Challenge, and Heartsongs

I came across the story of a girl named Rachel Scott, who was the first person killed in the Columbine shootings. You may remember hearing about one of the students refusing to deny her Christian beliefs when threatened to do so by the killers--that was Rachel. Apparently she was a remarkably mature and insightful teenager, with a great attitude. If only more teenagers (and adults) could be that way...Go here to read an essay she wrote.
And because deep inside me is a strict English teacher, I must hope that this wasn't a paper for an English class.

This brings to mind Mattie Stepanik, a boy who died of muscular distrophy, who wrote some beautiful poetry and had more of an understanding of life and death than most of us do. I first saw him on Oprah years ago, and he was a guest of hers several times before his death. He wrote several books up until his death at age 13. Here's a poem he wrote at age 6:

Heartsong

I have a song, deep in my heart,
And only I can hear it.
If I close my eyes and sit very still
It is so easy to listen to my song.
When my eyes are open and
I am so busy and moving and busy,
If I take time and listen very hard,
I can still hear my Heartsong.
It makes me feel happy.
Happier than ever.
Happier than everywhere
And everything and everyone
In the whole wide world
Happy like thinking about Going to Heaven when I die.
My Heartsong sounds like this:

I love you! I love you!
How happy you can be!
How happy you can make
The whole world be!

And sometimes it's other
Tunes and words, too,
But it always sings the
Same special feeling to me.
It makes me think of
Jamie, and Katie and Stevie,
And other wonderful things.
This is my special song.
But do you know what?
All people have a special song
Inside their hearts!
Everyone in the show wide world
Has a special Heartsong.
If you believe in magical, musical hearts,
And if you believe you can be happy,
Then you, too, will hear your song.


Do you think that people who are "destined" to die at a young age have some sort of instinct about it? Are people facing imminent death granted understanding and peace? Discuss...