the unpredictability of life and death
 

so here I am today, at work, sitting at my desk doing my normal sysadmin thing and I get up to go ask my IT manager a question about setting a change control for saturday. I stop just inside his office door and remember that I can't ask him questions anymore. He's no longer here.....on this earth.

Yesterday afternoon, he said goodbye to all of us and that he was going home for the day, would see us all in the morning. Later that night I got a phone call from our staff agent telling me that he passed away in his home, for no known apparent reason at this time.

7 hours before that phone call, we all told him to go get some rest and now we'll never speak to him again. He was only 36 years old.

What a wake up call in rediscovering how fragile and unpredictable that life is. One hour, someone you're close to is there, and the next, they are not.

Always kiss your SO when you leave for the day. Always tell your kids you love them very much. Always tell a friend that they are special. Always treat every goodbye as if it's your last, because it very well could be.

RIP Clarence, you will be missed.

Sorry for the loss. I've had the same slap in the face. A phone call at 1 am, a best friend killed in a plane crash. Sudden, cold, and a pain as sharp as any knife can inflict. The older you get the more frequent the reminders come. But it can happen at any time and it will happen to all of us eventually.

I always ask myself, "Is today a good day to die?"

Yep. That's how it goes. It's difficult, both emotionally and rationally, to come to grips with the idea that, not only will you never see someone again, but that it is actually impossible to ever see them again.

Condolences to you.

Nope. Not good for me. How 'bout I pencil you in for a week from next Tuesday?

It is a slap in the face. And, it often is unexpected. I mean, barring a long term illness. If death were predictable, it would wreck havock with the insurance business.

I think about this every time I drive across the state during a snowstorm over multiple mountain passes with known avalanche paths. I also think about it every time I put on my snowshoes and hike up a ridge, and everytime I turn on my motorcycle.

I need to update my will.

My condolences.

It's never easy losing someone from your life in such a sudden way. The only upside is that with time, the pain of the loss fades and you are left with all of th good memories.

It sounds cliche, I know, but I've been through it a few times and it's the same every time.

It's amazing how little control we have over it. A good friend was ready to retire after working at a refinery for 30 years, Only 57 years old. 1 month before leaving for good dies of pneumonia. All his hard earned money left to his girlfriend of 6 months. That's a lucky woman.

It's sad to hear someone so close to you, even a friend dies at one point. I can't say much about it since I haven't seen many deaths yet. Only my grandparents died and I couldn't attend their furneral since I needed a passport ot get there.

I'm sorry to hear that and may he rest in piece as he go to his houses of his forefathers.

I'm so sorry to hear of your loss.

Unfortunately, as we grow older, we see our friends, relatives and colleagues passing with more and more frequency.

This is why every year that goes by, I seem to treasure the little things about the people I love, cherish the ordinary moments with my children, and the idiosyncrasies of the lunatics at my job. I never hesitate with hugs nor words of love when I feel them. Crazy, huh?

You're absolutely right. You never know. :sad:

Random Death: Good for the insurance industry.