Why do some people die so young?

The past year has taken two of my brothers, a nephew's wife, two dear friends (one by his own hand), and many other friends, acquaintances, famous people, and victims of crime or war or both.  All were different ages.

This has left me to ponder why some people live longer than others, and why some people go so quickly and others linger and suffer.  It makes me wonder and question my own personal beliefs.

So far, this is what I have discovered.  I believe:

• Everyone dies as they should, but some people are more ready to go than others.
• We are put on this Earth to learn lessons.  Some people learn more quickly than others.
• Some people die to teach others lessons, help someone else learn something important, or to save someone else.  Those are the people I admire most.
• We are each on our own path and each of us are working on different lessons or karma. We should never judge others because their path differs from ours.
• Children often die to teach adults lessons or because they are old souls and have learned all they need to know, but children dying is tragic beyond imagination.  I believe adults sometimes go through such grief at the loss of a child that the lesson that child died to teach them is often lost in the sorrow.  Tragic beyond belief.  
• Parents often suffer in dying and fight death to have just a little more time with their families.  It is difficult for the families to watch, but it is equally difficult for the parents to let go.
• We each experience grief in our own unique way.  Grief is a part of dying and is a lesson in itself.
• Time does NOT heal all wounds, but time will dull sorrow enough so that it is lighter to carry most days.
• Life and death are different sides of the same coin.  We are the coin.  The coin does not cease to exist simply because it moves from heads to tails.  The coin's value does not diminish when it flips.
• Life is an adventure.  We are only here in these bodies for a short time.  The adventure does not end when we leave the bodies behind.

I could go on, but I will stop there for now.  This has been weighing on my mind.  I feel strongly that I needed to write it down to help someone else.  I'm not sure who or why, but if it is you, "You're welcome."