Before she turned 40, Kelly Carter Merrill had already lost 10 peers -- friends, colleagues, and significant others -- to death. Several had even died on her birthday, an already infamous death day. Circumstances implied that these deaths were happening for a reason, that they were somehow about her. Kelly was certain that if she could learn lessons from the deaths that she could prevent future untimely loss. Her quest led her from Virginia, Pennsylvania, Chicago, Hawaii, Taiwan, and back to Virginia again -- journeying through relationships, religions, marriage, childbirth and career loss. Along the way Kelly discovered that her close experiences with death had been preparing her for how to live life.