The year 2015 was a burgeoning time. I was living
in an off-campus apartment with friends, had
finished graduate school in May, landed my first
full-time job in five years by June, and was work-
ing on applications to film schools in August and
September. I was on the cusp
of turning thirty, and life was
looking amazing. Little did I
know that in just one more
month my life would be forever
changed.
In late October, my dad passed away. One month
and four days later, my mom also passed. Nearly
four years since then, I’ve come to realize that
grieving is a life-long process. I continue to learn
how to cope. Time may heal wounds, but it’s
difficult to adjust to losing very influential people,
especially so unexpectedly.
Needless to say, this was one of the most challeng-
ing times of my life. Neither one of my parents
was seriously ill at the time. Needless to say, this
was one of the most challenging times of my life.
I sometimes feel cheated of the opportunity to say
goodbye although I do feel they
knew how much I loved and
appreciated them. It was—and
sometimes still is—difficult not
to succumb to a pit of despair
amidst so much grief.It’s odd to think, as I grew more comfortable
in my independence and adulthood, I lost my
strongest foundations. I honestly didn’t expect to
have to face such devastating loss until I was mid-
dle-aged. At the time, I wondered how self-suffi-
cient I could be without my parents’ support. WasMourning and Living
By Johnny Edward Johnson
My parents taught me to value
myself and to treat others with
decency and respect. They
instilled in me an appreciation
for education and culture.Foto credit © Scott RodgersonPhoto credit © Scott Rodgerson