I Ain't Superstitious...

Okay, so maybe I am. Sue me. But I'm not the only one with this superstition, and if you had my childhood of adults over the age of 50 who kept dropping off like flies, you'd start believing it too, even if you and your entire family were healthy as oxen.

Death happens in threes.

I guess we figure if He's going to show up for one person, he should make it his while and come for #2 and #3, and if you have any sense, you find them quick before he makes you a designated hitter. By no means, do you want to be who Death comes for to round out his numbers.

So in mid-December, a co-worker, Pat, died. She was 77--and a spunky, wonderful lady--and gracious. She would always listen to what you said, and if she didn't agree with you, she's smile in a bit of sweet gentility and say, "That's nice, but this is how we're going to do it." And you did. You were glad to do it her way. She never said an unkind word--well, maybe she did--but it was nothing that the rest of us weren't already complaining about. She'd smile, exasperated, say something gracious and Southern, and then go about her business. She was a corker.

The first one is never really a pattern.

But then my great-aunt Lena died. She was 102 (almost 103) and granted, while she is older, she still was pretty hale for her age. And had all her mental capacity. And capacity for about a dozen or so of her relatives, not to make too fine a point on it. Opinionated, proud, productive, and a sweet-tart (no, not sweetheart--sweet-tart. If you'd been on the business end of some of her remarks, you'd understand)--she was a CORKER.

Okay, *now* we have a pattern. So we look for #3.

And now Heath Ledger is dead. Now I'll grant you I didn't know Heath personally. We're not what I'd call bosom pals or anything, but as with celebrity, you feel like you know them. You spend more time watching their films than looking at family photos--and you feel like they are your bosom pals, so it's a big deal when one of them dies. It's a huge deal when one of them dies and they're younger than you! Okay, younger than you *and* not of any disease other than possible stupidity and tragedy.

I know, I know. *throws salt over shoulder* Don't speak ill of the dead, but if it is a drug overdose, you rather have to question what was going on in his head at the time--and possibly the ones who are supposed to be keeping tabs on young, talented actors? (Britney, anyone?) You'd think they would have started monitoring the sleeping pill situation a bit when Marilyn died--but no....

Is anyone else superstitious about death? Anyone else floored by Heath's death? Anyone else suffer from the same problem as I do about celebrities--you think you know them better than most family members?