Perhaps it's not a smell of "death", but rather one of "new beginning". Most people. I believe, think of spring as the season of new beginning, but surely the seeds which grow in spring are those which drop in fall.

I am reminded of when my mother passed over. I received a condolence card showing a ship crossing the horizon in the far distance, with people waving tearfully from the shore. But, from beyond the horizon an unseen voice was saying "look, here she comes!" Ithink it was based on some words written by Victor Hugo, and I remember being deeply moved by it.