Isaac dies at one hundred and eighty years old. Both Jacob and Esau come to bury him. The brothers who were at war appear together at their father's tomb.
There's something about death that simplifies old conflicts. The competition for blessing, the decades of enmity - it all becomes secondary to the common loss.
I'm watching my parents age, and I'm seeing this already. My sister and I had a terrible fight five years ago. We're not fully healed, but Dad's health crisis brought us back together. We're coordinating his care, making decisions together. Death - the shadow of death - makes reconciliation possible.
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