Like Sands through the Hour Glass…

Yesterday I learned of some news that I am still not sure how to take. It is shocking. I didn’t want to believe it. Here is what I learned: Dr. Marlena Evans and John Black are at the clutches of death! I spent most of the afternoon is a fog…mindlessly doing my job while I was being flooded with emotions and flashbacks.

You see, “Days of Our Lives” has been a major part of my life. There's no soap like "Days of Our Lives," which has won many fans with its terrifically twisted tales of mistaken identity, brainwashing, and spouse swapping. Set in the Midwestern town of Salem, "Days" features badass supercouples who fight for their right to be together, against all odds. John and Marlena, Bo and Hope, Patch and Kayla, and Lucas and Sami are just a few of the couples that I have grown to love over the years. They're all closely related, and they all battle bravely against the seeming immortal Stefano DiMera, the chilling yet charming bad guy whose evil infects every part of Salem life. While Stefano sees everyone as mere pawns in his personal chess game, the people of Salem refuse to be played -- and they give back as good as they get.

It has been obvious for the last decade that this particular genre of daytime television has been hurting for ratings. The news that top billed actors Deidre Hall (Marlena) and Drake Hogestyn (John) have been let go from "Days of our Lives” was only the beginning. Top brass at NBC have reduced the shows contract from 60 months to 18 months! With ratings low and budgets tight the network is trying to stay afloat. (In my opinion, the government needs to bail out NBC – screw GM).

One of the earliest memories of my childhood involves “Days.” I can remember sitting in my high chair eating lunch, my mom was ironing and we were watching the remarriage of Roman and Marlena. This, or course, was just before the disappearance of Marlena. She was presumed dead in a plan explosion set-up by the evil Stefano.

And who could forget the houseboat explosion…and the disappearance of Hope. When I became actively involved in the storyline (as a teenager), Bo had given up on the search for Hope and was in a relationship with co-worker Billie. Then…out of nowhere…a woman returns to Salem who looks strikingly similar to Hope. But her name, one of the few things she can remember, is Princess Gina.

With the return of Hope, the reinstatement of the Bo and Hope relationship, the Days cast gained some new faces as it tried to appeal to a younger demographic. The Salem teenagers emerged from the couples (or any mix there of) of established Salem. The now angst-based storylines would center on Shawn and Belle. They were amazing. Just past the romantic stories of Shawn and Belle, hidden in the shadows of darkness was an emerging love triangle: Brady and Philip's rivalry over Chloe.

But Shawn and Belle weren’t as storybook as we all hoped. While on a summer trip to The Island to search for Alice’s ruby, Shawn became unwillingly involved with Jan after he witnessed her abusive relationship with an older man. Jan, having turned crazy, would then later kidnap Shawn in hope to force him into a physical relationship. This was homage to Marlena's many visits to the prison cages of Stefano and further paralleled Shawn and Belle with John and Marlena.

I could go on forever. In addition to these relationships there were the other, more twisted storylines that I loved.

The Gemini Twins

The return of Tony DiMera

The many deaths of Stefano

The Salem Stalker

The Jennifer, Jack and Peter love triangle

Carrie and Austin and Sami and Lucas

Kristen, Susan and Marlena

Marlena’s possession (which brought higher ratings that the OJ trial!)

Sami on Death Row (for the murder of Franco)

The Sami, Carrie, Lucas, Austin, and EJ love triangle

Just for the record, 36 characters have been brought back from the dead. Some more than once.

As the holiday season approaches I always look forward to the reunions and truces that calm even the most convoluted of storylines. My favorite “Days” moment is when Alice hangs Tom’s ornament on the Horton family Christmas tree. It happens every year. And every year I cry.

It is Tom’s narration at the beginning of every show that best captures these final episodes. They are numbered…so are the days of our lives.