rip.

I meant to post this last week and it got lost in the mix. RIP Roger Ebert. I read this piece, I do not fear death, that Salon reprinted last week from his book. It is poignant and thought-provoking.

I grew up in a house that talked about death a lot. Being children of ministers, both my parents don't shy away from the topic, and their children in turn are versed in the conversation. At one point, we were so exasperated by Mom constantly talking about "when she died, what we should do", that we sketched out  the phone-tree of people to call with the directions for the safe deposit box and put it on the fridge to prove our point. I think because of our parents, we handle and talk about death more easily than others. We have lessons learned from these conversations that we rolled our eyes at at the dinner table but turn out to be really valuable. I remember once driving in the car and my Mom noted that the only and best thing you can say to someone in the thick of a crisis or a death is just, "I'm so sorry". It's true. Sometimes people just talk or try to be meaningful when you really should just keep it simple. And as divorced as my parents may be, interesting that they both care and work so much around death.

Anyway, its Monday morning and a new week and spring has sprung, and dying is a downer...but this piece made me think a little...and I think Mr. Ebert was so courageous after his cancer and writes with real integrity.