For the second time in as many weeks, someone close to me has died. The first was a friend and colleague who I'd known for a dozen years. We were both freelancers, and we worked together many times, and were often in touch just to chat, even though she lived far from me (in Paris; I'm in southern France). She died giving birth, which is something rare these days, but there was a complication that was known about before she delivered, and things just went bad. She leaves behind three kids and an unemployed dad.

Today, I found out that a physical therapist who I saw twice a week for several years - and who was also a friend, and leader of a kids' ski club near where I live - was killed in Morocco during a carjacking/robbery. He had moved from France to Morocco on retirement, having recently married a French/Moroccan woman.

I've never had people close to me - even though these were not really close friends - die so suddenly, and two so close together. Especially the second case, I've never know anyone to suffer violence, even being mugged or injured (and I grew up in NYC).

I find this hard to accept, even though I want to try and accept it. Grieving is natural, but it's not something I've ever been good at (such as when people in my family died).

I know there's nothing I can do, and what is past is past, but it makes me sad.

I'm not even sure why I posted this, but I have a feeling that in this forum many people have suffered similar losses, and I'm reminded of the story where the Buddha told a woman to fetch a mustard seed from a house where no one has ever died...