death?

what does it take for a person to realise what life is really supposed to be about? death maybe?
or maybe some terminal disease, say cancer or HIV+? does it really take THAT much for it to be a slap to the person's face, snapping back that person to reality?

recently, i have just found out that yet another aunt of mine has fallen into the hands of cancer. third stage cancer at that. and events took a very surprising turn. she has turned to buddhism and is very much pious now. these days, all she ever does is stay at home to rest and recuperate. she seems to be doing well physically. no doubt she has lost a considerable amount of weight, she doesn't look sunken or pale and pasty or anything of that sort. as for emotionally and mentally, i really have no idea what goes on in there. she must really be a walking jumble of emotions.

and now that tragedy has struck, everything has gone back to life being about family, fate, destiny, returning to the rightful path, religion yada yada yada. as she would say, everything is really fated. if its fated to happen it will. that's life. many things she said that day when i went to visit her was preachy and about life which sorta got me thinking. is that what it takes for people to actually treasure what they have and not get caught up in everything else? sad really, she's still young. married with no kids. she still has a whole life ahead of her and this had to happen. but we go back to the point of it being.. life.