I have been asked, in some roundabout way, to address the statement, "It is a good day to die." I use it, when I feel it is appropriate. For a while it was the text of a "scrolling marquee" I was using as a screen saver. My roommate at the time thought me bleak, and mischievously modified it to "It is not a good day to die." I suppose he thought himself clever, combating my despair with a bit of subterfuge. For my part, I was only glad that he did not understand; if he had, his modification would have been a saddening reflection on him.
"It is a good day to die" is not a despairing cry for death. It is a declaration of contentedness and peace. It is saying, "My affairs are in order, and I am content. Were I to die today, I would consider my life well led, and have no regrets." It is not appropriate to all situations, and it is not trivial. The phrase is taken from Star Trek; it is a customary Klingon battle oath, and in this context it is recognizing the honor of the oncoming battle. It announces that there will be no regrets of falling in battle because the death will not be in vain.
Similarly, when I say that "It is a good day to die" it is a sign that I am satisfied with my life. If it ends today, I will not consider my life a waste, and neither will I regret having died on that particular day. The declaration is not merely that I am satisfied with my past. It is a statement that I like life. No one wants to part with a friend on bad terms. I don't want to die on a "bad day". People ought not be able to say, "He was having a really crappy day, and then he died." I want the last day of my life to be one of the best. "He died happy" is what I'd like people to say. To be sure, salvation through God and a generally optimistic disposition keep my outlook fairly positive all the time. Still, whatever overall attitudes I have, I have plenty of "up" days and "down" days. Everyone does. And I would like to die on an "up" day. Wouldn't you?