Difficult Conversations
Death is hard to talk about. I might argue that its made even more difficult when talking about it with people you love, like say your parents, who are feeling especially contemplative about their own lives and imminent transitions.
Within the past three months, my parents have lost upwards of five or six friends to death. Classmates. Former neighbors. Former church members. One life at a time, their community shrinks, and the number of friends they can call, laugh with, remember with becomes smaller and smaller.
Recently, the conversations we have had about the business of dying have included finances, funeral arrangements, and other special requests. I’ve listened to the details of their hearts’ desires with stinging eyes and a quivering bottom lip, much like right now.
Together in life, in love.
It’s a part of living, death. Dying is natural and we will all do it, one day. And yet for as universal an experience as it is, it is something we all have to do on our own, by ourselves.
The mourning that I’ve seen my parents do over the loved ones they’ve lost has brought many lessons. Not the least of which is this: while we all die alone, we certainly needn’t live that way.
So don’t. Okay?
Peace and Blessings,
Nicole Y. Walters
