Why Are We Mourning the Death of 101-Year-Old Norman Lear?

Norman Lear, the television icon, passed away today at the age of 101.

This appears to be a controversial opinion, but I generally frown at mourning people who were blessed with an exorbitant number of years.

My grandmother died at 103 and it was a conflicting experience. I was thrilled that she got to live to 100. The mayor of the hometown visited her at our birthday and named a day after her. I certainly didn’t wish for her to die painfully but as the following three years passed, I started to feel riddled with guilt and stress over what her upper limit might be and how taxing that might be for those around her. More so, why did God grant her ten extra years over my other grandmother who lived to 93? Or the 44 years over her husband (my grandfather who I never met) who died at 59?

When celebrities die, it’s an opportunity to honor their work. I get that and death is a good time to do that. In fact, there might not be a more perfect time than a funeral. My own mother is a somewhat notable figure in her field and I recently had a couple opportunities to honor her. I also did the same for my dad when he turned 80.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jNBH1gvqquc

The thought that they would die before I properly expressed everything that was great about them, prompted me to want to do something. At the same time, I get how counterintuitive it is to do this while someone is still alive. In the case of my dad, the joy…