Student Chosen Topic #2- Duncan Owen

 "They say death is hardest on the living. It’s tough to actually say goodbye. Sometimes it’s impossible. You never really stop feeling the loss. It’s what makes things so bittersweet. We leave little bits of ourselves behind, little reminders. A lifetime of memories, photos, trinkets. Things to remember us by even when we're gone." –Meredith Grey, "Going, Going, Gone" (Season 9, episode 1) 

I’ve been watching a lot of Grey’s Anatomy this year. Each semester, I always pick a TV series to binge watch & get way too invested in. After having this in my Netflix que for a long time, I decided to take the plunge into the tumultuous journey that is Grey’s Anatomy. Just like any medical drama, death & loss are apparent and apart of the story arch. Through this show, and the quote above, I have begun adopting a realist perspective on death and loss. Death happens and sucks. Grieving the loss is even tougher. At 21 years old, I am lucky that I have not experienced loss close to me yet. However, I will. All of my grandparents are still healthy & alive. My oldest grandparent is a retired rheumatologist and professor at MCV and has always had the realist perspective about death: it happens. His medical background has made him used to it and has a healthy answer when asked how he is doing: “Doing well yet getting older”. While I don’t like to think of the inevitable, I am trying to keep in perspective the memories that I spend with family and friends. Life is short & tomorrow is not always guaranteed. Therefore, I try and always make memorable moments so that I will have no regrets.

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