When I was a kid, my great-grandmother and grandmother were famous for spouting off phrases and old wives’ tales that have followed me into adulthood. I often catch myself repeating these phrases, but am never ashamed when I hear echoes of my family in my head, nor feel the need to explain when one or more of these sayings is questioned and accused of being completely asinine. One of these mythical sayings was that death came in threes. It is part superstition, part folklore, part whoo-doo and, as proven recently, all bull.

R.I.P. to the following:
- Estelle Getty
- Bernie Mac
- Isaac Hayes
- Gene Upshaw (Please, do not send me hate mail about him.)
- Julius Carry
- Fannie Lewis
- Congresswoman Stephanie Tubbs Jones

Does that look like three to you? If there’s anyone I missed, it wasn’t intentional. All jokes aside, I think I’m starting to lose count.

Live your days as if they’re your last. They may very well be.