Today, I went to a funeral for a much-beloved 22 year old woman from my hometown. I didn't know her, but her mother is a good friend of my father (and now attends our church). I went to the funeral because I volunteered to help with the after-reception.
The whole thing hit me quite hard. Despite not knowing the young woman, I definitely cried. Part of it is obviously the "if it happens to someone else my age, it could happen to me" issue. But there's more to it.
She was an accomplished person. She spoke four languages and played eight instruments. She was engaged to be married this July to her high-school sweetheart, and they even buried her in her wedding dress. There were over 300 people at her funeral, and I think some may have even come from Minnesota, where she was set to graduate from Carleton College this spring.
It's just awfully tragic when such good people die young. She wasn't even in an accident or anything; she became suddenly ill and died a month or two later. The seeming randomness of it is shocking, and it's even worse to think that she knew what was coming before it happened.
I'm just quite thrown by this whole affair. I can't believe it. Unspeakably sad.