This post made me think, "Why is it always the really great people who undergo tragedies?"
As the Billy Joel lyric goes, only the good die young.
להבדיל, I remember hearing a Chassidic story/parable that accentuates this idea (I don’t remember all the details), the gist is as follows:
One of the Lubavitcher Rebbes had lost a relative that passed at a young age. At the Shiva, one of the surviving relatives (perhaps that Rebbe himself) shared the following: When a soul comes today got us world it’s like a merchant visiting a market (יריד). A typical merchant needs to go around from stall to stall inspecting the merchandise, inquiring about pricing and terms, until they find what is suitable for their business. It takes them a lot of effort until they fulfill their objectives at that marketplace. Similarly, a soul comes down to this world into a body with a mission, and has to undergo many journeys and experiences until it fulfills purpose here and earth and is ready to depart.
Then the Rebbe said about the departed who passed away young, that they were like a savvy merchant, who comes to the market and knows exactly what they want and where to find it. And while all the other merchants are scrambling to find their wares and deals, this merchant finishes up quickly and goes home.
והנמשל מובן
It’s a bittersweet message, and doesn’t ease the pain of the absence of a loved one, but I really appreciated the perspective.