Of the three readings assigned, the two that stood out to me the most were “Our Lady of the Quarry” by Mariana Enriquez and “It’s Bad Luck to Die” by Elizabeth McCrackan. Both were very well written and I loved the focus each story had on emotions and surprises. However, “It’s Bad Luck to Die” resinated with me more than anything.
One of the major points within the story – to me, at least – was the dynamic between Lois and her mother. Within the first sentence Lois explains that she’s Jewish and has at least three tattoos (where later you find that there were many, many more) that her late husband, Tiny, did for her. Her mother made it clear from the beginning that she looked down on tattoos and what her daughter was doing and the few, brief interactions convey that.
In addition, there was quite a large age gap between Lois and Tiny – 31 years, to be exact. This in particular caught me off guard. Even the mention of her being six feet tall was less surprising, since I haven’t typically seen female characters above five foot eight. It was also mentioned that Tiny had three previous wives before Lois and, since the story starts six months after Tiny’s passing, Lois’ had only the one husband. However, I feel like Lois won’t ever marry again due to the way she holds herself at the end of the story. She told herself – and the tattooist who was seeking Tiny work – that she wasn’t a museum. Not yet, at least. Instead, she referred to herself as a love letter. Those words emphasizes the lasting impact Tiny left on Lois, with both his work and his love for her.
By the end of the story, Lois was fully embracing herself and I believe that’s due to the lasting impact Tiny had on her self esteem. Right before his death where Lois was giving him a simple “get well” tattoo, Tiny says “I mean, tell me. Do you feel finished?” That line I could translate to “Do you feel complete, or whole?” Even after his passing, she no longer tries to hide who she is, much to her mother’s dismay. Lois would go to work at the library in short skirts and no sleeves, unafraid and uncaring of how people viewed her, which is reflected when her director comes to her and she replies “I’m sorry. These are my widow’s seeds.” I love the fact that she’s not sorry for who’s she’s chosen to be and is embracing herself and it truly shows how people impact others from the other side of life.