  Just tragic I've read all the Dostoevsky novels, those sad and dark tales where people die from chest colds and madness. That was way back when people used coal for heat in their homes, and travelled by horse-drawn buggy. This is 2002, almost 2003. Things like that just don't happen anymore. At least that's what I thought until now. I received a phone call this morning on the way to work. That was my first indication that something was wrong - my cell never rings in the morning. It was my mother-in-law, who only calls in the morning to be the first to wish her granddaughters a happy birthday. Today was not a birthday. Bad news was her reason for calling today. As I listened, she explained that her brother called her today, first thing in the morning. She had the same thought - he never calls that early in the morning, not even for birthdays. Bad news was his reason for calling. Their 20 year old daughter had caught a cold a few days ago, and was feeling having trouble breathing last night due to the congestion.
She went to sleep last night, woke up this morning unable to breath. The ambulance was called and she was taken to the hospital, but sometime this morning she died. Unbelievable, incredulous, impossible news. I don't understand how this can happen. I was dumbstruck and griefstricken all at the same time. I wasn't very close to her, but she is my mother-in-law's niece, and very loved in our family. This isn't some Dostoevsky novel, this is our life.
Death has touched our family and I don't know what to do about it. I want to console my mother-in-law in her loss but I don't even know where to begin. Before she hung up with me she asked me to take very good care of her girls (my daughters). I told her of course I would. I may have more thoughts on this later today, but I feel like just putting this into my blog may help relieve some of the sadness in my heart somehow. And of course, as I always dwell on things in a philosophical manner, I am sure I will have more to say on this later. Once the shock has worn off. Diva out. 
