Mortality

A friend of mine passed away last week.  He was a coworker from the hospital.  He was my age, with kids the same age as mine.  He died rather suddenly, of an aneurysm in his spleen.  It was out of the blue.  When I got the news that morning I felt shock, but not much else.  I thought about him, how this could have happened and how quickly we can pass from this world to the next. 

Last night I was offered the opportunity to write something in a book that was being compiled for his family.  I thought about all the time we had spent together over the last 3 years.  As I typed the message I wanted to have put in the book, I felt very sad.  I wrote it with tears rolling down my face.  Sure he was annoying at times.  And sure he was a pain in the butt.  But he was my friend too, and his death leave his children without their dad.  And his wife without her husband.  Life is very fragile.

This is what I wrote.

Tom was the creator of ridiculous surveys, the instigator of trivia games, and numerous rounds of "name that tune." He knew countless numbers by heart and knew my phone number by heart as well; which allowed him to answer first whenever I called in to work, and harass me. He was my best source of wisdom concerning all things Star Wars, but blew my entire electrical system in my car when he jump started me late one night. We had meetings together, got immunized together and ate more dinners together than I can count.


Tom supported me when things were crazy. We had a lot of conversations about the health of my husband and Camden. He understood all my medical terminology. He was the first person to ever pick up a shift for me. He walked me out in the dead of night numerous times and took the scary route through the depths of the hospital. We talked about life and coworkers, children and doctors, church callings and family. It feels unreal that he is gone, and my heart aches for his wife and children. We shared a lot of shifts, emails, and jokes, but we also shared an eternal knowledge of life and it's purpose. We shared our faith, and I am grateful for the peace it offers, and the opportunity to carry on the relationships of this life for eternity.