Thankfully I have not had to face the death of a parent yet. My grandmother died in April of 2007 at age 87. She was not much of a cook, but was an incredible naturalist. She hiked the Appalachian trail and camped in every state except Hawaii. She even made it to Alaska. Her husband in later life (they were married when my grandmother was in her 50s) refused to fly, so they went everywhere in their VW popup camper.

After she died, I got very interested in birds and bird watching. She knew all the birds, and now I really enjoy birding. I always think of her when I see a bird, which is every single day.