There have been a lot of deaths in my life recently. My father’s partner passed away and a really good friend’s mother passed away the same month.

• When my father’s partner passed away I didn’t know how to feel because she never wanted to meet me when my parents divorced when I was 15. I was obviously there for my dad because they lived together.

• When my really good friends mother passed away I just wanted eveyone to be together. She was our Girl Scout leader and she did a lot of things for us and our community in oyster bay, where I grew up.

I think death brings out a lot of different feelings. You never know what people are going through. Grief is also a natural thing to feel, a feeling of loss and a personal connection with one’s self. It can affect your everyday life. Whenever I think about someone who has died I think of all the memories and things I’ve done with that person.