Death

A Premonition Comes Before Death

My junior high school boyfriend’s tragic death hit me hard

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I was lucky. Death didn’t come knocking at the door of my world until I was in college. Actually, it did come earlier, but it wasn’t until college that I fully understood the finality of it and the loss had a profound impact on me.

Not pleased to meet you.

The first time I was introduced to Death, I was 7 years old. My mom lost her baby, my little brother, Johnny. I didn’t really understand. All I knew was that Mom cried a lot.

The visitation took place at a parlor that looked like the house in The Addams Family. My cousins and I ran amuck throughout the Victorian mansion to explore. It was nothing more than playtime for us until I had to view the tiny baby blue casket with the baby inside. I approached very quietly and peered into the casket. He looked like a sleeping doll to me.

Death visited again soon.

My childhood friend, Karen, died suddenly on the playground. She bumped heads with another child and died. If I remember correctly, she had a blood clot in her brain that was undetected.

Karen and I met in first grade. We jumped rope at recess and I spent the night at her…