h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

My son's girlfriend, Laura, died today.

She had a brain haemhorrage.

She was 19 years old.

I went to school with her father.
My sister was in the maternity home with Laura's mum when Laura was born.

We have the funeral to get through next week, and I don't know if I am strong enough to face it.








R.I.P. Laura Pipe, lovely, lovely girl, I'll miss you so much.
I can't believe I'll never see you again.

Oh god, I'm so sorry GB.

My nephew died at the age of seven, the funeral was very difficult. Everyone lit a candle for him, so the church looked beautiful.

It helped me a bit when the young vicar said that you should think of every life being a full life, rather than one cut short, and you should celebrate that life for what it really was, rather than think of what might have been.

I don't know if that helps at all, but I hope it does, just a tiny bit.

Anyway I'm thinking of you. Take care.

That's so sad.

All my sympathies, GB.

Oh GB. What terrible news. I work with this age group and they are all so full of life and hope for the future. Occasionally something tragic happens and it's such a shock. But you'll have good memories of Laura. Keep them safe and take care of your son too.

Its very difficult to know what to say, and i'M someone who has had a lot of deaths over the last few years in family and outside the family with friends, consulation is difficult cause it so easily looks lame,
I'm thinking of you and seding out thoughts to give you strength through a very difficult time, I don't think anything makes it easier at the time, aside knowing we are all on your side and seding our love out, it is just so tradgic we are with you on this GB

I'm so sorry GB

Thank you all, my dear friends.

Allan rang me last night, and he's coming here today for a big

He's gutted of course, but he's relieved that she never knew, she passed away when she was in a coma.

It's just so hard to believe.....a lovely girl who was nice to everyone, a non-smoker and didn't even drink, she would never have touched drugs and she was trying to get my son to give up the booze.

Why her? Why not me? I've seen enough, done enough...I'd not be sorry to go.

I love you all and thanks for caring.

my thoughts will be with you and your son.

Life's so unfair. Thinking of you fondly.

I wish I knew of something wonderfully comforting to say, GB, but I can't, it so sad.

Laura was the same age as No2 son who has just driven off to see his girl, also 19.

You are all in my thoughts.

Thanks everyone.

Allan's here now, I've told him of your good wishes and kind thoughts.

He's brought me some pictures I'd not even seen, of the two of them and a lovely one of the 3 of us, which I'll treasure.

I'll get him to scan it sometime and post a link for you

People are born and people die.

Life is what happens between those two events.

If life is precious, then it is our duty to remember and share the lives of others so that their lives become part of ours and, thereby, are extended and multiplied.

Since Laura had a good life, now should be a time of pleasant reflection over those things that made it good.

It should be a time of taking in the beauty of her presence and making it an inspiration for the days that remain to us.

It should be a light to lead our steps in the darkness of uncertainty that is our future here.

Clearly, the body that is being buried is not Laura. Rather it is the remains of that method that permitted her to pass through this world. And because we honor her, we honor it in her memory.

As we place that body in the earth, we begin the task of sharing her life with those we meet, if not through direct remembrance then through our actions.

Finally, when it comes time for our own remains to be buried, her life and the lives of all those whom we loved will be the reason why we too will be worthy of being carried forward by those who survive us.

The greatest sadness lies in those who die without being remembered. Such lives are lost except in the momentary events they provoked that changed the lives of those they passed among. No one will be able to recall such lives with understanding of the presence that motivated those actions. Thus, the person who passed is lost.

Laura's passing clearly is not deserving of such sadness. She has made your life a better thing. She has graced your son in the same way. I am sure, that there are many others who feel much the same.

Once your grief at your loss has lost its immediacy, I'm sure that you will see this. I'm sure that you will be able to think of her and feel your spirit lifted, not cast down.

We all mourn our own losses. The greater the beauty that is past, the more we mourn our inability to refresh ourselves in its radiance. We are a selfish lot in that respect. We know that we could do nothing to change the fact that life is finite and limited, yet we beat our breasts and pour ashes in our hair to show our displeasure that we have been deprived. This is our way and it is every bit as much a part of the world as is life and death.

Still, we can resolve to take up those memories and use them to shape our lives.

That is the real triumph of those who have passed.

That is the measure of their worth.

That is the meaning of life -- to be an inspiration for those we have touched.

That is what is meant when we are bade to rejoice.

That is *why* life is precious.

I offer my condolences for your sorrow and my admiration for the challenges that lie before you.

Barton

I'm not just mourning the lovely Laura.

I'm feeling the loss of what might have been...the treasured daughter-in-law and the wonderful grandchildren.

Strange, but Allan has now experienced the same thing I did.

At 19, my first boyfriend died of cancer.

Thank you for your wisdon, Barton

I will remember them and read them back and hopefully gain some strength through the arduous week ahead.

Laura loved Robbie Williams and Laura's Mum has chosen "Angels" to lead the coffin in.
She asked Allan to pick two other songs, and he asked me.
I said "If Tomorrow Never Comes" would be appropriate.
Then he asked me where he could get a really nice wreath.

Then he asked me if I had his black tie and I wanted to howl.

I found it this morning without even looking for it.....and I gave it to my daughter to give to Allan, when she called to collect her husband who was working on his bike in my garage.

I'm really struggling with the "WHY?????" at the moment, and I can't see past that.

I want to scream and scream at the injustice....and I want to cry on someone's shoulder and be held all night but there's no-one.

I've never felt so lonely in my whole life.

if I could I'd be there now to be that* shoulder, and I wish that could be the case if it were possible and what you wanted, I can't streth out the strength over the ether, i think its got to be a person to person thing and that makes me sad, cause all I want to do is be able to help you whilst you have this need But if there is any commfet in it I'm sending out my thoughts and wishes to you I just wish we could be there for you at this time

So sorry to hear this AGB

*hugs*