With my parents dying young – my dad 55 years (I was 16!) and my mum at 66 years I thought I’d got a free get out of jail (or death) card. Done grief, been there, done that, got the t shit! But now at 42 years (start of a new 7 year life cycle) everyone is dying around me. Step-dad recovering from pneumonia nearly dying 3 weeks ago. Best friend’s mum dying (probably a week away), neighbor’s husband dying and another friend’s alcoholic boyfriend dying. I seem to be surrounded by death (maybe because I too am getting older) but at my core I need to remember I am living and protect myself. There’s family friends going on about my stepdad’s care and all the family dynamics and grief. I want ‘Je Ne Regrette Rien’ and “Somewhere Over the Rainbow’ and a cardboard box (what’s the point of spending money on a coffin?) My friend wants to be buried under a plum tree so when they make plum crumble they can think about her. She also wants her skin to be made into a drum so people can bang her!
