My dad joked when my daughter was born “Facebook has replaced the newspaper for announcements”
It was a statement I couldn’t help think and laugh about (perhaps inappropriately) when I read about the premature death of a former work colleague.
The Internet is supposed to bring us closer together, I can read hundreds of unsolicited opinions on the President across the pond paying off a hooker; yet it took over a year for someone who I knew, someone who lived about 20 miles away was no longer of this Earth.
A part of me can’t believe that not one person said to me “James were you aware…”
I only realised after another ex-colleagues, made a one-year anniversary reflection post. I had been living my life to miss the news first time around and I thought what I was doing to miss this; I think I was worrying about some problem at work… insignificant in the scheme of life.
I couldn’t help see the bitter irony that as one family mourned the end of a life, my wife and myself were overjoyed and preparing for the baby scheduled to come into our life.
As a reflex I texted a dozen friends and family members sending my love and asking how they were doing. It’s funny how death sucker punches you in the face making you appreciate who you do have.
The disappointing thing about not knowing was it came off like I did not cared, I cared… Continue reading “The sense of it all”
