I was a little girl for whom death was a very big problem. My father scared me. There was a casket with a stranger in it in our living room, a trip in a hearse to an insane asylum, and obituaries read with commentary to me during dinner (how easy it is to die). As I grew up, I cast a light into my father's troubled behavior and, by doing so, cast a light into my own. While my story is probably quite different from yours, you're likely to find elements of your own journey within these pages as you explore the challenges that come with growing up, appreciate the experiences that enrich your life, and learn to live more fully--here, six feet above.