Life without them is too awful to 'contemplate'. [=too awful to even think about]
She stood and quietly 'contemplated' the scene that lay before her.
I stopped to 'contemplate' [='ponder'] what might have happened.
(..) - Perhaps. - Perhaps. Perhaps the father needed to die and not the son. Perhaps they both needed time to contemplate the mistakes in the solitude of a cold cell. We had no time to discuss the possibility before you ended their possibilities. One can be forgiven for thinking you're (..)2017 TvShow: Game of Thrones Title: Beyond the Wall Season: 7 Episode 6