Funerals

We went to a friend's funeral this past Saturday.  He was also a coworker of Vega's whom he worked with closely every day for at least the last 6 years.  He was only 44.  He had a wife and two children and already two grandchildren.  I've experienced death before...my grandparents and mostly people who were elderly.  But this friend who died last week was only 44 and it was unexpected.  It's a feeling I've never experienced before.  It's very weird.  You still expect this person to be here and he's not.  You've had conversations with this person who had dreams and goals similar to anyone else's.  He was looking forward to a life not yet lived.  So you go to think about him and have to tell yourself, "Oh he's gone".  It's just a very weird feeling.  But it really makes you think about your own life and if you were to leave this earth before you've achieved a long life.  And I also think he wasn't ready yet.  Or at least if he was he had to prepare rather quickly.  He developed an illness that wittled away at his life for about 10 weeks until he didn't have the strength to fight anymore.  I don't have very good answers about death but I do know that I am now going to consciencely cherish every moment I have in this life because now I realize it can be gone all too soon.