Warning: Serious Death & Dying Post Ahead

In high school, we were required to take a health class. They taught us about our bodies and reproduction, CPR, and such, but they never really touched on how our parents will one day shrivel up and die right in front of us, how we are going to feel about, what our responsibilities might be, and how to go on with our lives. And for those of us who love and rely on our parents, losing them is a painful, ugly thing.

I certainly wish I could've taken a class on how to prepare for my parents’ deaths. I drifted through high school, college and real life, never thinking about my parents dying until my mother got cancer and died when she was 57. It was a shock, I was not ready then, and I'm still not over it.

Recently, I was out at my dad's and we were watching an episode of Law & Order. He paused it and said, "Son, I'm guessing you don't really want to talk about this, but I want you to know what to do and where all of my important papers are for when I die..." He went on to tell me some specifics about what to do, who to contact, etc, when he dies. He's not imminently dying, but he is 70 years old, so I guess it is good that he told me, but he was also right when he guessed I didn't want to talk about it.

I wish I had been more prepared. I'm not sure if a class in H.S. would've helped, but it would not have hurt.