David was a child who, as the last of four children, grew up as the only male in his household. His points-of-view were either manufactured within himself, or were handed down to him with a definite feminine slant. David did not grow up abused, tormented, or neglected, he just, at times, seemed to literally be the odd man out. David’s mother was very supportive of him and his three sisters. She constantly tried to impress upon them the importance of education, and David’s mother could not have been prouder, as she attended each of her three daughters’ high school graduations. David’s graduation would be the only one to which his mother would not attend. David’s final year of high school began one month before his sixteenth birthday, but one month later; his mother would pass away. With his father already out of the house, and the 2 oldest sisters fully involved in adult life, all that was left was David and the third of his three sisters. The death of David’s mother forced David to learn how to make decisions and how to carry his weight. In short, David was forced to become an adult, even though he himself knew that he was far from ready for a metamorphosis of this magnitude. Death causes different reactions in different people. Once the sadness and the mourning have passed, or have at least been put on hold, the period immediately after establishes the foundation for the future of everyone close to the deceased. Being the last of the children meant that David spent the most time with his mother during her final days. She was the first person to pass away that David would know personally, so his mother’s death was very hard on him. Many people in David’s family felt that he was not as overwhelmed as he himself knew that he was. Because David did not immediately display his despair outwardly, he was perceived as callous or indifferent towards his mother. It was only after the funeral that the members of David’s family began to understand. David knew that there had to be a rock for his sisters and other relatives to lean on, and David chose himself. This is a trait that would both serve and haunt David well into his adult life.