The Continuum of Life and Death

You say we are on a life/death continuum and that our death is simply the continuum of our life not the opposite of it.  The opposite of Death is Birth……..and death should not be feared. Why then does everyone try to stay alive?  I would guess that we don’t want to hurt the people who love us by leaving them but if death is just a continuation, then why do we try so hard to stay alive?  Why do we spend countless amounts of money and train health professionals to prolong our worldly life?