05 April, 2022

Death Watch - #AtoZChallenge

This post may seem morbid to new readers. You might get a handle on where I'm coming from by checking out these posts: peace, numb, jinx.

DEATH WATCH 2022!!

There's been one burning question in my family since the new year.

  • September 2019: nephew died, aged 18
  • January 2020: sister died, aged 53
  • September 2021: dad died, aged 81

So... WHO'S NEXT IN 2022? 

Ladies and Gentlemen, Our Contestants!↓↓

In this corner, coming in at a whopping 81 years of age, a church musician who goes to the gym three times a week and keeps her mind sharp with books and brain puzzles every morning: My mother!

Opposite our lovely church musician, with 53 years of life experience, a music teacher, and yes another church musician - who takes care of herself but refrains from visiting the doctor unless necessary: My sister!

Pairing off in the next ring are my two brothers. One, weighing in at 54 years, has a short fuse and seems likely to carry on the family history of heart trouble. The other, at just 46 years old, suffers from PTSD and memory loss, but with an active job is physically fit. Older brother vs. younger? Who will win?

And if I may throw my 49 years into the running, I lead a low-stress life, but have "high risk" of a heart issue.

{The younger generation are not invited into this game, even though their cousin (and brother) was the first to begin this trail of death. For those who care to bet on the long odds, they include: 26yo, two 24yos, 20yo, 13yo, 11yo, 9yo.}

Who would you bet on? What kind of odds would you give?

Of course, it is entirely possible that there will be no immediate family deaths this year. My sister went just 5 months after our nephew (approximately), while Dad waited 19 months to go. That's almost 4x the space between the first two. By that count, [19x4=76months/12=6.3years] our next death may not be until 2028! ...which would change the odds greatly, Mom at 87? Nope-nope! 

Or should I be even more precise and go by weeks, like a pregnancy? But then, what's the gestation period for death?

Or by Lunar year? My nephew and sister both died in Year of the Pig, no one died in Year of the Rat, and Dad died in Year of the Ox... maybe immediate family deaths will skip this Year of the Tiger and move on to Year of the Rabbit (or Cat, depending which method you follow). It would be nice to have a year off. 

...My husband just proofread this post, and he is highly offended that he didn't make it onto the list! Death is a competitive game and he just didn't make the cut. (No one in his immediate family has even died in the past five years, the slackers.)

13 comments:

  1. Omg. Dont know how to react to this post :( but i really hope and pray every one u listed fails in this game...and Am sorry for ur loss

    Dropping by from A to Z http://afshan-shaik.blogspot.com/

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  2. This is a most surreal blog post. I wish all your family good health and long life. We are quite long lived in my family and I fully intend to make it to at least 90, both my parents are going strong at 86. I look forward to the rest of your contribution to the A to Z

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    1. I knew this post would hit people strangely. I have developed a dark "gallows humor" side over the last couple years. My mom's mom lived to 101, but Dad's dad died at 53, so... *shrugs*

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  3. I hope your family gets a nice long break from deaths.

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    1. It would be nice. Death is a part of life, though, and I am getting to be a pro at grief!

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  4. Better to laugh than to cry, right? My mother had a year-o-death when I was a toddler. She's talked of it frequently. Traumatic, it was. They tend to come in waves. As you just finished up a wave, I think you've probably got several years before the next one. (Fingers crossed.)

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    1. Yeah! Waves! That's a good way to look at it.

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  5. I sure don't want to make the death list--not in many more years. I know I'm getting closer, but I'd rather stretch it out as long as I can. I already got further than my father who died at 67 in 1990. Now I hope to make it at least as far as my mother did--she passed at 85 in 2014. Everyday I thank God that I've been given another chance at life. Let's keep this going for a while. I tell people that I'm going to live until 156 years old. But could I afford that?

    Arlee Bird
    Tossing It Out

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    1. I am finally at a point where I truly enjoy my life. I don't want to live to 156, though! I don't mind getting old, as long as I have my health and mental acuity.

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  6. You know a little gallows humor never killed anyone. It was usually something else that got them! Yeah we have had a few deaths in my family as well and we tend to approach it with humor as well. We lived and we all know we are going to die. If my siblings didn't give me a good natured ribbing after I died then I would be disapointed.

    Now my wife's family (though not her) find our casual attitude towards death a little offensive.

    --
    Tim Brannan
    The Other Side | A to Z of Conspiracy Theories

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    1. Ha! yes. I don't know that my whole family gets the gallows humor angle. My dearest friends do, though, and that's enough.

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  7. Luckily, when married to me, we can laugh at basically anything.

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I enjoy a good debate. Feel free to shake things up. Tell me I'm wrong. Ask me why I have such a weird opinion. ...or, just laugh and tell how this relates to you and your life.