A 19yr girl

A 19yr girl from my community passed away today. She caught the flu while in Israel prior to returning home for Pesach. After her arrival in the US, she went to a doctor caught influenza and a staff infection. I will go to the shiva house. Once again, I need to look upon the faces of the parents, devastated and in shock. For the first 15 minutes, I struggle to find the words to say. Shouldn’t I know what to say since I had been in their place?! An unimaginable place unless you have been there. The next 25 minutes will be slowly moving to their “line of sight” wondering when they will ask who I am and for what reason I have come. My mind numbs and my lips quiver as I know, deep in my heart, that nothing that I say will comfort them. But I go anyways hoping the memory of my presence will be felt even after I leave. I remember a couple who came to comfort us during shiva. I spoke all of 2 words to them. Before leaving, the father spoke the customary words of Hamakom Yenachem etchem. Before he left, he told me that his son was also buried in Har Menuchos. I never forgot that moment and to this day I don’t know why it remains etched in my mind. Somehow knowing that someone else can understand you is the only comfort that can help.