I'd had relatives die, and some acquaintences, but neither of those touched me quite like my two friends.

Several have hit me hard, but for different reasons.

My first -- grownup? -- brush with death was in 8th grade. A classmate had been out sick for a while with pneumonia or something similar. Then one morning, the teachers announced to us that Pam had died the night before. That day, it was so quiet throughout our section of the school that you could have heard a pin drop.

Several days later, I went to Pam's visitation. Ended up standing next to a classmate who couldn't have stopped crying if her life depended on it.

Shortly after I started law school (and by that, I mean the first weekend after classes started), an acquaintance was kidnapped. The case got a lot of publicity locally. About a week later, a suspect was arrested. He led the police to her body. Three years later, I fell apart watching a student film about a woman being attacked in a local alley.

The one that really affected my viewing of "The Body," though, was Hubs' mother. She had originally been diagnosed with cancer about the time she moved in with us (in '93). We got her through surgery and chemo. Eventually, she was well enough to live on her own, as long as someone (usually us) ran her on errands every weekend.

Her cancer came back in '98. We all (her kids and in-laws) took turns keeping an eye on her after each round of chemo. In mid-March 2000, she was told that the cancer was terminal. Two weeks later, she died with four of her five kids, several hospice workers, and me at her bedside. Well, sort of -- about 3:15, Hubs got the idea to order pizza for us. It arrived, and people went down to eat. I stayed with her until her youngest came back to give me a chance at food. She died not 30 seconds after I left the room.

11 months later, "The Body" aired. It's the one BtVS ep Hubs refuses to watch again.

Rayne, I remember your essay from back when you wrote it. I had been a frequent visitor to your site and I sent you an email at the time, expressing my condolences and wishing you well. I was a Bronzer then, and hadn't found the Buffistas, and I was touched by your words and wanted to send some sympathetic thoughts along.

I didn't mean to bring this thread down. I think it's amazing that an episode of television can have this much of an effect on people. Thanks for all the comforting words. This time of year is difficult for me. I keep thinking two years ago today my mom was alive and living life to the fullest.

So, how 'bout that Buffy, eh?

I didn't mean to bring this thread down.

You didn't. We periodically reflect on mortality. Then we talk about Justin Timberlake and the sex lives of echidnas.

So, how 'bout that Buffy, eh?

Rockin' good show! But my biggest Buffy-related tear jerk is in IWRY.

But my biggest Buffy-related tear jerk is in IWRY.

"I felt your heart beat" *sob*.

Though "I can't breathe, Will. I can't breathe" is up there too.

Istanbul. I'm pretty sure Istanbul is the only time _Buffy_ ever made me tear up at first viewing.

"I felt your heart beat" *sob*.

For me it was, "It's not enough time!"

Rockin' good show! But my biggest Buffy-related tear jerk is in IWRY.

It wasn't my biggest, but I was kind of stunned to find my eyes leaking quite seriously (so much so, that it made me laugh). By the time she's clutching him and losing it because she's got a minute left? Geez. Raw. She really nailed the sense of time and possibilities slipping away and that it was killing her. Him? Well, he lost me there for a second ... with the fake crying - not his strength ... but he had me back when they were back in the office. He did a good "I just got the worst, most painful gut-punch ever, but I'm gonna just pretend long enough for you to leave so I can collapse."

Ahem. Yeah, I liked it. Why do you ask?

The heart wrenching scene where I think they were both completely on is the one in Surprise when she finally finds him in his room. Killer.

Cant' breathe. Also amazing, per Vortex's post.

ETA: It was the "How am I supposed to go on knowing what we had ... what we could have had?" or like that that killed me. Plus, one of her expressions when she wasn't even talking was just SO heartbreaking.

I'm pretty sure Istanbul is the only time _Buffy_ ever made me tear up at first viewing.

Damn. I've openly sobbed at Buffy eps numerous times. IWRY crushed me.

Yeah, I don't know why - I tear up easily a lot of the time, but not with Buffy, for whatever reason. I agree that IWRY is a killer.