This is kind of a sad touchy subject to me, at least.

The other day while tutoring the boy who likes to be tutored by me - the one that I speak so highly of, he was looking through his sister's folder - the girl who I mentor during her lunch period.

She has a book that she's been reading from time to time, part of her studying of Black History, which she likes to read about.

Anyway, her brother and I looked through the book a little. It was about the story of a once famous black woman who became a hair stylist - Madam C J Walker. He asked me was she still alive.

So I went to the back of the book and saw a timeline of her events from the time that she was born and found out that she IS dead. He then had ask me; "Why do people die?". I explained to him that it's uaually from becoming gravely ill or old age.

"Old age?", he asked. I told him yes, people, like animals and other things in life expire when they have lived close to a century or a little bit over. "What's a century?", he asked. "A period of 100 years", I said to him.

I explained to him "That sadly, people DO die just as people are born. But you don't have to worry about dying because you're in perfectly good health, and I know that you wouldn't do something that would put your life in danger, like smoking cigaretts or illegal drugs, or even alcohol. You're a very bright and intelligent young boy, and you want to live as long as you possibly can. And you will as long as you stay away from those bad things."

I then told him that the famous people who lived centuries ago, we are only able to READ about because they've all outlived their life expectencies and that modern medicine and modern medical science helps us to live much longer in this day & age than our ancestors and others did, which those things weren't around back then.

Then I said to him; "Can we change the conversation to something more pleasant, please?" "What does pleasant mean?", he asked. "Happier things - things that make you happy and cheerful", I explained to him. "Good, because I don't want to talk about that any more either", he gladly said.

But deep down, I was starting to tear up, thinking about friends & family members who have passed on. He noticed it and said; You're starting to cry." I told him then about the loss of my parents, cousins, friends and one of my brothers. "That's why I asked you if we could change the subject", I said to him. He apolligized. "I'm sorry that I made you cry", he said. I said to him; "It's not your fault. You've got nothing to apolligze for. It's alright You asked the question and I wanted you to know."

He said; "Thanks for letting me know about that. You really care about me." "Yes, I do", I told him. Then we talked about something much more pleasant. He likes to talk a lot, so I have so much fun with him and explaining things to him!!