the way things work
y'see, the thing about death is, is that it's not universal. it may be the great equaliser, but it is by no means universal. if someone close to you dies, and you walk down the street, you see people going about their daily routines and you wonder how they can do it. don't they understand? don't they know? of course they don't know. so you wonder, if i walk up to one of these people, and grab them, and shake them, and say, "what's wrong with you? don't you know chris died? don't you care?" they won't, and they don't. and why should they? they're not your friends, they're not family, they're just people like you, but, in this case, not like you. so you look back on your life, and think about the times someone you know has had someone close to them die, and you attempted to show sympathy. maybe you honestly felt bad for this person, maybe you didn't. at any rate, it's not the same. we all might be the same, and we all end up the same way, but when we die, the people who surround the one who was lost are different than everyone else on the planet at that instant. and that's what makes death so hard to handle - at the time when you feel closest to humanity, when you are undergoing the one thing we all will experience, you're different because of what you've lost, and nobody can change that.
goodbye chris, doktor242, bizza, my dear dear friend. you were nearer and dearer to me than i imagined, and i am quite lucky for having had you in my life for five years. you lived a full life, and while it was cut short in an unkind fashion (is there any other way?), you should feel good about all the people you touched and made happy. you were truly one of the most humane and kind souls on the planet (and that's not just post-mortem hyperbole). i'm glad you're with your father again, as i know how much he meant to you and how much you missed him. and, you're still with me, with us, those you've left behind. you will remain unforgettable.
goodbye chris, doktor242, bizza, my dear dear friend. you were nearer and dearer to me than i imagined, and i am quite lucky for having had you in my life for five years. you lived a full life, and while it was cut short in an unkind fashion (is there any other way?), you should feel good about all the people you touched and made happy. you were truly one of the most humane and kind souls on the planet (and that's not just post-mortem hyperbole). i'm glad you're with your father again, as i know how much he meant to you and how much you missed him. and, you're still with me, with us, those you've left behind. you will remain unforgettable.