I was reading a news report the other day into the death of a teenager. I often find a compulsion to read other stories of horrific loss, I guess it is something approaching kinship.
In the article the mother commented that it could happen to anyone. It's a sentiment I've heard repeated many times, and one that I have also uttered.
I believe this is due to the realisation that we are not somehow protected from all the things that life throws at us. We do not reside in a protective bubble. We are in fact just as likely to suffer loss and heartbreak as our neighbour, friend or the person we read about in the news.
This knowledge is almost like an enlightenment, a reason to view life in a different way. Many of us that have had a seismic life changing event want to impart the wisdom that it brings onto those still blissfully unaware of its teachings. That is why quite often you will hear parents/partners/friends of those lost or injured trying to make people aware that these events could happen to anyone.
It is not some killjoy kind of action, to make those enjoying life fearful for what is to come. It is also not to make people risk averse, although being aware of the risks we take is no bad thing. The reason is much more altruistic, it is to make people become more aware of life itself.
When the days are good, or even ordinary, enjoy them. Make a cup of tea for your loved one, smile more, let them know what they all mean to you, concentrate on the good in the day and don't be caught up in irrelevant complaints, because one day it could be your life that is suddenly changed without warning, and at that point, knowing that you fully immersed yourself in all the good that life has to offer, can be some benefit when dealing with the bad.
Because the real question is not "why me?" but "why not me?"
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