Irony

Irony: in literature, a manner of organizing a work so as to give full expression to contradictory or complementary impulses, attitudes, etc.

The essential feature of irony is the indirect presentation of a contradiction between an action or expression and the context in which it occurs...Ironic literature exploits, in addition to the rhetorical figure, such devices as character development, situation, and plot to stress the paradoxical nature of reality or the contrast between an ideal and actual condition, set of circumstances, etc., frequently in such a way as to stress the absurdity present in the contradiction between substance and form. Irony differs from sarcasm in greater subtlety and wit.

Source: www.dictionary.com

I obtained a Bachelor of Arts in English before I went to law school. So I wrote a lot of papers in undergrad, mostly literary criticism (law school "papers" were an entirely different animal). I never took a creative writing class. So, I didn't create irony; I analyzed it. Tragically (or ironically, perhaps?), my life is full of irony now. Creativity is not needed. You can't make this stuff up.

Today, August 24, on my daughter's third birthday:

~While celebrating the life of one child, my other child's death certificate came in the mail.

~Consequently, while celebrating the health and vitality of the one child, I was concurrently parsing apart the four conditions listed as contributions to or causes of the death of my other child.

~While cleaning the house, we had to put away one child's memorial items, photographs, and documents in his cedar chest...to make room for a birthday cake and presents for the other child.

Tomorrow, at a child's birthday party, there will be a silent chest of memories in the room that holds the celebration with a single photograph on top. Does anyone dare speak of the still-fresh (always fresh?) tragedy at such a happy occasion? I hope so, because it is my life now.

I smiled and cried for my children all day today. In the context of Weston's death, the ultimate and cruel irony is that life goes on.