Shhh! Death is a taboo subject. Most of us do not want to discuss it. We tiptoe around it, try to circumvent it, or use euphemisms. Our loved ones did not die; they 'passed away'. Maybe we think we can avoid death, but no one can, and death is not limited to physical death. It comes in many forms. We can experience the death of a dream, the death of a relationship, the death of our youth, the death of our health, and any number of significant changes that force us to grapple with impermanence. If we do not face death, though, we fear it, and fear is an even heavier load to bear than death, because fear saps the energy out of life.—Sofia A. Wellman