Day 9: It's the worst

My dear friend Autumn came to San Antonio for a meeting, so last night I drove out to meet her for dinner and a night away from my regular life. It was awesome to catch up, plus we had delicious Tex-Mex, and I had some time to wander one of my favorite cities.

When Autumn left for her work meeting this morning, I stayed behind and lounged in the hotel while I finished reading When Breath Becomes Air. I've been about 3/4 done with it for several days, and I was putting off reading the end, since I figured I would get pretty emotional. Wow, was I right! I sat and bawled my way through it and was glad to have the privacy of the room, with no kids barging in on me.

Which brings me to today's writing topic: death. Ugh, I know. It's not much fun to think about or talk about or write about. But you must admit that it makes for a fuller picture of your history if you include your experiences with death. Here are some possible angles:

-Make a list of all the funerals you've attended, and if you have more time, add details about your relationship with each person.

-Is there anyone you don't personally know whose death really affected you? (like celebrities or a friend/relative of your friend?)

-Do you think much about your own mortality? Things you want to accomplish before you go? Speculation on what comes next?

-Have you been present when someone has died? (Even a pet. My dog's death was tough--one of my absolute worst days ever. I've written in my journal about some of it but can't make myself write the end of the story.)

My sweet Izzie girl in her last few weeks

-If you want a bit more detached perspective, how about deaths in books you've read? I could write several paragraphs about the deaths in the Harry Potter series alone. In book 4, when all the echoes of the dead people come out of Voldemort's wand, and Harry's parents whisper advice to him...oh, man. I was reading that aloud to my kids with a serious case of the choking-back-tears tight voice. Now we are reading book 5, and it's pretty much death of beloved characters from here on out.

Sorry to bring the melancholy today, y'all. I'll try for something lighter tomorrow.