Somber Thoughts

Today I stumbled upon a thread in a discussion that announced the unexpected death of a classmate from high school. This particular girl was an acquaintance. We were friends in middle school, but in the high school years, we existed mostly in different social groups. Our paths would cross every once in a while, but for the most part, we were friends from a distance.

When I read of her death, I was flooded with a myriad of thoughts. It is strange how despite working in healthcare, I continue to think myself invincible.  Completely capable of doing anything I want without any real consequences. And though I am too young for many of the pathologies that I work with, I am not immune from car accidents, head/spine trauma or otherwise. This young girl passed away "from natural causes". What does that include when you are 26?

We graduate high school mostly assuming we will see all those people in 10 years at the latest. We graduate thinking of the degree(s) we will obtain, lives we will change and the families we will have. We dream of traveling the world, beginning lives in cities near and far and being a part of something great. Death seems inconceivable...

So today I am taking a moment to remember life is not guaranteed. It is a gift. I will spare you the soft, sappy cliché words of wisdom, but I hope today to hug your loved ones a little tighter, because you just never know.

Here is a similar post I wrote last spring about a life taken too early...