Why a Skull?

Why a skull bead? Some people look at the malas with a certain curiousity when they see a swastika or a skull...I have explained the swastika in another post but the skull is meant to have the meditator reflect on death and impermanence and know that death is a fact and the closer that we can relate to death and embrace it the sooner we can start living with love and compassion and realizing that in this cyclic existence death will come when it is time...live life and embrace death.