If you experience tragedy early in your life, especially if it is unexpected and suddden, there is an irrevocable loss that is lifelong. I was a 17 y/o high school student when a classmate died over the week-end. Her name was Rose. She was killed in an automobile accident by a drunk driver. We shared a homeroom table and when she was missing on Monday, I asked her best-friend where she was. She told me the story.
It is surprising to me, fifty years later, that there was no announcment to the class about what had happened. There was no way to express our personal sorrow for someone so cheerful and beautiful. Now that I am a parent myself, I can only imagine the anguish and grief of her family. At that time, I wrote a brief 'In Memoriam' for her, which was published in the school newspaper for anyone to read. Her best friend came up to me and thanked me.
Her dying so young always reminds me of the fragility of life and the strength of relationships. Her petals live inside of us.
“Love doesn’t die; the men and women do.” – William Faulkner
