The day that my kids' dad died changed the way I see the world. He and I were married; we shared two beautiful daughters. And I would say the marriage was beautiful; the divorce, of course, was ugly. However, between the end of the divorce and the date of his death, we grew to be great friends. So the day he died, it was a complete shocker. It truly opened my eyes to really grasp and understand that death is real - it's going to come one way or another.

I had experienced death before, but his hit completely different. He was in the Army. He did 2 tours overseas and came back; he went overseas, fought in these wars, and came home. All that. But he was at a cookout back at home in Philadelphia, then there was a car accident. I had shared so much with this person. We have two daughters. I was married to this person. We were living together - and we had become best friends after the storm of the divorce. So it really hurt, but then it affected me so differently. No matter what age, how good of health or how great shape you are in. It can still come.

And that day made me really understand that and to become one with the process of death - like, no longer be afraid of it. I don't know if it's common, but most of the people who I am familiar with do not like talking about it. They're afraid of the whole aspect of even entertaining the conversation. But now, it's like I completely understand that it's just going to happen. I am open to have a conversation with it. I think that everyone's just afraid of the unexpected and the unknown. I just no longer fear it. It doesn't bother me.