Sad news

A week ago, I received sad news from home. One of my friends back in Germany died suddenly at the age of 46. Because she was from my hometown and also a member of my club, I had known her most of my life. Just a month before her death, we were at a "reunion" of our now defunct club at a restaurant and she had been her usual bubbly self. Without a pause, she talked about a concert she had attended and the World Cup festivities she had celebrated. When she saw me first, she joked that she saw me as often as our friends who lived there year-round.
I'm still trying to cope with her death, even though it isn't the first one for our club. Perhaps it is because she was younger than me and had never been sick. Mostly, though, it's because we were both part of the same clique and shared many memories together. She was present at every dance, trip, and party I attended before I married. We lost touch for a while, but I'm glad that I was able to see her last year and this summer. Of all the people I have met, she was the one I would have least suspected I may never see again.