It really shocked me. She was my age, recently married, happy. She and I were bridesmaids at our mutual friend's wedding back in 2009. She had her whole life ahead of her. She didn't deserve to die.
People react to death in a number of ways. My reaction was shock and then anger, real bloody anger. I'm an atheist but if there was a god, I'd punch him in the face for pulling this type of shit.
It's funny how when people encounter a death like this, a seemingly random, unjustified death, they begin to ponder their own mortality and question their own belief system. I did something similar to that but it didn't really change anything. I mean, I'm still an atheist. I don't believe there is a god out there and even if there were, this type of occurrence proves he doesn't give a shit about us.
If anything, it only reaffirmed my belief in being a good person. This life is all we got. It really doesn't matter if there is something after this existence or not.
This life is all we get to do as much good as possible, to change as many things for the better. If there is a god and an afterlife and such, then we'll be rewarded. If there isn't, we left the world a better place than when we found it. Unless you're an insufferable prick, shouldn't that be the ideal to strive for?
Who knows how long we have on this "pale blue dot?" Faith and religion have nothing to do with choosing to live your life for goodness.
As Neil Gaiman put it, "You get what everyone else gets—you get a lifetime."
Love you.
Mean it.
