It may sound morbid, but once a star really enters the giant phase it's often accepted that the end is nigh. Subgiants, especially lighter ones, often haven't- they have a much longer wait until the end ahead of them, sometimes one sufficient for their tired old planets to experience a new start. After the subgiant phase, the generally longer giant phase provides time to reflect on the past and the future. As the star reddens and balloons outward, and the odd ticklish feeling of shell hydrogen fusion makes itself known, a contentment tends to set in. Their life may not have been long, but to be a star is a miracle atop a miracle. One can see farther than ever before, near the end. And all around there is joy.
