Time is All Around

I've been listening to Regina spektor lately and one of the verses in the song Time Is All Around just shot out at me
"Leaves become most beautiful
when they're about to die
when they're about to fall from trees
When they're about to dry, up."
I never really noticed that this statement is completely and utterly true. In nature, things look most beautiful when they are about to die. This made me ask the question, "Are humans the same way?"