New Essay: But I'll Be Dead by Then

My paternal grandmother had a saying, perhaps a premonition, albeit not a very good one. Whether a family member speculated on the events of the future, say marriage, grandchildren, graduation, a trip to the grocery store, my grandmother would reply with the utmost confidence, “But I’ll be dead by then.” Belying odds and statistics, my grandmother spat out this prediction for at least 20 years before time came to make good on it. Perhaps it was more of a mantra, daring death to rob her of those milestones dear to her life. Or maybe she just thought the Michalskis were lazy and needed the impetus of her demise get things done.

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http://www.baltimorefishbowl.com/stories/ill-be-dead-by-then/