I often have to inform people that I’m not quite affected the same way other people are by death. I mean, it’s true. When I look at people who have left my life, those that have left involuntarily through death tend to hurt far less than those that just up and leave because they chose to go. Unfortunately, though, sometimes that’s not the full story. Sometimes a death hurts worse, but just in a far different way.

Once upon a time, I had a really amazing friend. I kept him all through high schoo...