Death always seems to come when life is good and everything starts to be going alright. And then out of nowhere, you're reminded of how cruel life can be. The stages of grief don't always go in order, they come in waves or all at once. Grief never comes when you think it should. It comes when a certain song comes on or the sun shines through the window just right. I take comfort in the fact that everyone experiences grief, even when you feel all alone knowing that everyone goes through a process that helps a little bit.

What I've come to understand about death is that it's always shocking and breath-taking. The unsettling feeling lasts for so much longer than you think it ever should. With every death you experience you find yourself more humble with the gift of life than you thought you could. You normally only remember the good times and are grateful for the times you got to share,

But it never gets any easier. Years down the road it will still bring you to your knees on the day they died and something feeling off at every major event. It doesn't get easier, but you learn an appreciation for this intently brutal life. How fast it goes and how much it means.