Ski Accidents

Maybe it’s just the time of year to reflect on the brevity of life. Maybe it’s because it struck a little close to home. Or maybe it’s just because.

Last week a student at the University of Rochester died. She had been an employee in my lab, someone in whom I trusted and knew would always do good work. She was a generally happy person, and judging by her accomplishments both in and out of the classroom, I knew she would be successful.

She died last week. It was what people have called a “freak accident.” She was skiing (she was a capable skier and ski instructor) and took a bad fall, struck a hidden rock, and that was it.

How short life is.

We all get older, and death is inevitable, but why some people die and others should live defies rationality. And that’s fine. Accidents happen.

Some people search for an explanation in God or other types of faith. I’m not one of those. It doesn’t mean that I think I know the answers or that such issues don’t bother me as much as other people. It bugs me. There’s just nothing I can do.

Here’s what’s left:

1) I’ll never think about skiing the same way again. I don’t ski often – in fact it’s probably been ten years – but I have gone down-hill skiing and I have enjoyed it. I have lots of skier friends. Heck, I was raised in Salt Lake City, home of the Winter Olympics back in 2002. Skiing is a completely natural past-time to me, even with its risks. But now, someone I know has died.

2) I’m stuck dwelling on how short and precious life is. I like to think that I’ve had a good run and if I died tomorrow, I’d leave a worthwhile legacy. Then there are people like this student whose lives were just beginning and their legacy left to write. That makes me sad. There are still others who, for whatever reason, reach old age and die without leaving a legacy either. They’ve spent their time on notions of the moment without concerns for the future – their’s or anyone else’s. Which of these two are a greater shame?

So let’s not forget that our lives can end at any moment. Make sure we live our lives to the fullest, remembering (but not dwelling on) the past, and planning for the future while still enjoying today.