This week's "Days of Our Lives" is what great soap opera is all about. In a moment of Greek tragedy, Maggie's beloved son Daniel is killed when he is in an accident with a drunk-driving Eric. Eric's stepbrother, Brady, is also hurt in the crash. Eric and Brady each need life-saving heart transplants. Daniel has only one heart to give. A shattered Maggie must choose. She has known and loved both men all their lives. Brady is her husband's grandson. Eric is the child of her best friend, Marlena. Any choice she makes will be devastating. No choice is the right choice. The amazing book and movie "Sophie's Choice" has the same gut-wrenching premise.

Learning that Brady needs the transplant ASAP, Maggie decides to give him the heart. Wait, we are not done yet. How will Eric, a former priest, deal with the fact that his drunk driving caused the death of his best friend? There is a chance that a fairly new drug protocol might save Eric's life. Now the issue becomes: Will the guilt-ridden Eric even want to take the treatment? Folks, that is how you write a compelling soap — or movie, prime-time show or book. It's just good storytelling. What is a person to do, knowing that there is no right choice, but a choice has to be made? Well-played, "Days." Well-played.

What a month for "General Hospital" star Kimberly McCullough (Robin). Professionally, she landed a directing stint on "Pretty Little Liars." The Emmy-award-winning actress still enjoys acting, but she loves directing. On "General Hospital," Robin, her husband, Patrick, and their daughter, Emma, got to ride off into the sunset after McCullough decided to leave to pursue directing and family.

And in McCullough's personal life, she was over the moon when she learned she was pregnant. Sadly, the actress suffered a late-term miscarriage. She expressed her grief over the loss on her official website. She also had a health scare recently when a lesion was discovered on her brain. Fortunately, what could have been cancer turned out to be a cyst. All the same, it was a very scary proposition and stressful time.

McCullough, who came on "General Hospital" when she was just 7 years old, posted on her site, "My heart was so full and then it broke." She further posted about the tragedy of losing her daughter 23 weeks into the pregnancy. "It is tragic. I am still trying to process it."

Interviewing McCullough when she was 8, I thought, "Please let this child become a well-adjusted adult." Whenever I interviewed a child actor they seemed so normal. So often they were just acting. Case in point: Lindsay Lohan. During a "Parent Trap" press tour, she went on and on about her stable home life, her supportive — but not pushy — parents and how everything was great. We all know how that turned out.

Thankfully, McCullough really was and is the exception to the rule. She grew up smart, classy and strong.

It seems she passed on her secret of being a successful young actor to Brooklyn Rae Silzer, who played Robin's daughter, Emma, for the past several years. Never mind that she is cute as a button. She has acting chops, and she is one smart little cookie.

Jason Thompson, who plays her on-screen dad, Patrick, let the actress down easily. She was the second person he told about his exit. He knew that would mean her soap opera airtime would be slashed. Silzer took the news like a big girl. Like any good actress, she has several ideas of how her character could return to the canvas while her parents are in California. She speculated on possibilities, like Emma spending summer vacations back home with Grandma Anna. I hope they bring back Emma.

To find out more about Lynda Hirsch and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate web page at www.creators.com.

Photo credit: Rachel Kramer