I borrowed the title of this post from an old Billy Joel song. It’s a phrase that I have repeated over and over in my head, as I learn of the premature passing of family, friends, acquaintances, and strangers. Yesterday, my boss was informed of the sudden and unexpected death of a childhood friend. He was 51 years old. My own husband passed away just two months shy of his own fifty-first birthday. And, the list goes on- Susan, gone at age 53, Debbie, Pam and Scott, age 47, Judi, age 37, Chris, age 21……

I have tried to wrap my head around this phenomenon that is occurring all around me. Young, full-of-life individuals, with so much to offer, are being plucked from this earth, often with no warning, and returned to their spirit form. Was their time here on earth just up, sort of a pre-negotiated quitting date? Had they simply completed all of their earthly tasks? These are some of the answers that I come up with when I allow myself to ponder the question, “Why?”

I will never really know the true reason for these seemingly untimely deaths (at least not in my current physical form), but I do believe that I crossed paths with many of these souls for a reason, and that my life is richer for having had them in it.