WE ARE A generation that made its name preaching revolution. We protested war, we danced to rock 'n' roll, we experimented with drugs and sex, we sent record numbers of women into the workplace, we postponed marriage and procreation, then attacked parenting with volcanic zeal. With Lamaze classes and drug-free deliveries, we embraced New Age alternatives for birthing. Yet, with all the social impact and cultural change we have been a part of, it's discomforting to discover that there is almost nothing new we can do to better cope with the grim reality of death. There is no breathing exercise we can employ to ease the pain when we lose a parent - or to quell the sudden fear that we are next.
Death is the great equalizer.
Because, the truth is, it's months before the tears stop welling and years before it sinks in that the person you most want to call on the phone to share some funny anecdote or great piece of news is no longer within dialing distance. With this devastating realization comes the knowledge that we must go on without those we miss. And that, for some, time is still on our side, and, if you have not already done so, it's not too late to bridge old gaps. All rights reserved.