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“DEATHOGRAPHY”
The word “death” is the most pessimistic word in my vocabulary. To others, it may be a comforting word. According to the Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary, death is “a permanent cessation of all vital functions, the end of life.” In my family, death was not discussed until it occurred.
The first time I remember experiencing death was when my pet bird died. I was about 7 years old and it was at the beginning of summer. I remember waking up one morning to go feed her and I see her at the bottom of the cage lying sideways with her eyes closed. My other bird was at the top of the cage pacing back and forth and chirping loudly. I knew then that something wasn’t right and I immediately ran to my mother. She came down and looked at it and gave me a hug as I began to cry. I already knew what had happened without her even telling me that it was dead.
I don’t exactly know how I knew my bird was dead. My parents had never really discussed death with me. I was only 7 years old so I don’t think they expected death to ever be on my mind. Perhaps, the media influenced me about death. Maybe I watched a television show one day and someone died in it. I’m sure most kids today know what death is when they are as young as 4 years old. I do remember burying my bird in the backyard. I was too scared to touch it or even look at it for long. My dad took it out of the cage and placed it in a box. We dug a small hole in the backyard near our shed. We buried it and I remember being scared to go near that hole for a long time.
The next death I experienced was a few years later when I was about 10 years old. I was in my 5th grade class. The intercom comes on in the middle of class: “Can you please send Diana Mendoza to the front office for early dismissal?” I was so excited. Leaving school early was the best feeling. I walk to the front office and find my older cousin waiting. He tells me, “Grandma passed away, Dianita (my nickname in the...