As I sat reading about the Virginia Tech massacre on Yahoo! News I couldn’t help but feel saddened. I am most definitely upset about the lives lost at the school. Yet, my mind was focused on how fragile life really is.

Obviously there are those who live a long full life. There are others who have been burdened with diseases. There are those who die because of violence, a freak accident or in the line of duty. And then there are few who die of rare horrible diseases which take their lives so cruelly and suddenly.

My niece was just born two days ago to a loving opened arm family. Although, her parents are married with a two year old son, they are not drug addicts or homeless and although she will be watched over closely there is no certainty to how long her life will be. There was a close call in the hospital, where her umbilical cord was suffocating her. As my family watched in shock the thoughts running through their heads were most certainly, “Please don’t take her away soon”.

I have been to hundreds of funerals because of my profession in the funeral business. Each and every one that I have been to there is a sadness. However, I can guarantee you that if there is a child or younger person involved the sadness becomes overwhelming. I believe that this is due to the unexpectedness of their death, no matter the circumstances. As parents become older, as they become grandparents and great grandparents there’s an expectancy at their age that their death will becoming soon. No one expects a newborn, a 10 year old, a freshman at Virginia Tech, or a father at 59 to die.

There is certainly no answer as to why people die when they do. Perhaps if you believe in something higher a certain comfort is left in your mind. Yet, every time I walk away from a funeral service or hear of a death (near or far) I am reminded just how precious life is.

Similar articles that might also interest you: