Death & Mortality

You're reminded of your own mortality when you start losing the people around you. I guess that's the world's way of kicking you in the butt so you stop wasting your own life. Not that I feel like I've been wasting my life ... but I guess we can always do better.

On April 28, 2013 I went into work like any other day only to be informed that one of my co workers had gone missing overnight. It's a long personal story that's not mine to share in detail, but they would end up finding his body exactly two weeks later. This was a person who had a lot to live for. He was young, had an adorable little boy and an amazing talent to share with the world. Why things happened the way they did can never be understood, but all we know is that a person we had grown to love is no longer with us.

Then this morning I woke up to more bad news. My aunt, my mom's sister, had a bad asthma attack. By the time she was able to get medical attention she had been without oxygen for far too long. She had irreversible brain damage and her immediate family decided to take her off life support. Another reminder of just how mortal we are. I can count on both hands the number of people I personally know living with asthma, but never someone to actually die from it. I guess we take for granted the medical technology that helps people breath ... that is until it's not around.

In both cases I lean on the knowledge that each had a relationship with God and were welcomed into a far better place. My aunt won't have to live with asthma or allergies and is breathing like the day she was born. While my coworker has complete peace. During a memorial service for my coworker the pastor talked about how good can come out of bad situations. That because of my coworker's passing we had grown stronger as a work family. I know my aunt's situation will be the same. Her children will be able to come together as one and have a stronger and better relationship.