Yesterday I went to the viewing and service for a young man that just died at the age of 29 of the flu. You read about this in the paper and somehow it seems incredulous but removed. It’s just hard to believe that anybody would die from something like the flu. This young man was the half-brother of a little girl, 40 years old, that I am very close to and is much like a daughter. In late December he apparently had what he thought was just the flu. Apparently, he put off seeking any medical care not unlike most of us when confronted with flu type symptoms. I am told that it quickly escalated and he was airlifted to a large hospital in Indianapolis where he remained in intensive care for the next five weeks. It never got any better and then infection set in and he died. I knew not only his sister but also both his mother and father. As would be expected everyone was devastated.
I had met the young man several times but really did not know him well. I’m not sure what I expected when I arrived at the funeral home but it was certainly not when I saw. There was a line out the door and down the block. I thought to myself how could a young man make an impression on that many people. While I stood in the line I talked to a number of people and the answer was simple. He was just a good guy that cared about people and was comfortable with who he was. I suspect it would be expected but I might talk about live every day because it may be our last. But, I think the better observation is make a difference.