death always reminds me of life. ah, the antagonism of it... death took a handful of beloved ones from my life, and as far as i live, i am sure death will take more beloved people away from me. there's nothing i can do about it. i know this death-life is a dance, and a cycle- the cycle of life... hard to dance around it, hard to break the cycle, hard to accept, hard to prepare for it, overall hard, no matter what. death leaves a hole in our souls, one that is impossible to stitch together.
i've been touched by death 4 times in the past 2 years, and one of those times was incredibly hard to go through (still is, actually)- but here i am to tell the tale. it amazes me how much stronger i am than i think or believe i am.  or maybe i'm just in denial, who knows.
every time death makes me go through the pain of losing a beloved one or makes someone close to me go through it, i'm touched by the idea of mortality and the very opposite of it- living our lives to the fullest, enjoying every single moment like it's the last one- one of these days i'll be right and it'll be the damn last one. that is one of the reasons why i can be so intense, so there, so stubborn as well.
as someone very close to me lost his mother, it should be a life law to forbid us to lose our parents, what the heck do i say to him? i can only imagine his pain. i can only try to use the best words to comfort him, but really... what can we do? what can we say? yes, time will heal, but time won't erase the memories, the pain, the loss. time may make things a little easier to deal with, but really... yes, i can be there for him, as i've always been, but i know it's not enough. 
yes, i do suffer from madre teresa's syndrome.
i try, always, to look and to hold on to the positive side of every crap that happens from time to time. i try to pass my *(&$%*&^ theory on: whenever we are touched by death, it is life's way to remind us to live to the fullest- to fulfill our lives with people we love and care for (and vice-versa); to love with an open heart; to wake up every day and do, at least, 1 thing that will bring us joy and happiness; to explore the world; to dive into new adventures; to hold more hands; to hug more people; to be a better person; to say "i love you" with intention and truth; to not hold grudges. the list can go on forever.