We lost a coworker to COVID-19, early on during the pandemic. It was surreal to go from seeing his smiling face in the hall to reading the company-wide email ab

We lost a coworker to COVID-19, early on during the pandemic. It was surreal to go from seeing his smiling face in the hall to reading the company-wide email about his passing. We had a virtual memorial service, and his friends, parents, and colleagues were all invited to share their stories about him. It was an emotional experience. For all the things I could complain about at that company, how they handled this situation was probably the most comforting and humane thing they could have been done. It still makes me tear up to think about. He was so young and so cheerful. So full of life. Having faced loss like the article describes, I can't say that the nature of the loss makes much of a difference. Death affects everyone close to it, pretty universally. Questions about whether it was preventable or not, fair or unfair, etc., only serve to color our painful rumination. Every so often, I'll remember him, and I'll repeat one of his catch-phrases to a friend who was on his team. Inconsequential as this might be, I like to keep the good memories of him alive.