Thank you guys. Losing a friend is hard.. loosing a younger friend is much harder. But I am able to draw comfort from the knowing that he's now home safe & sound & is no longer suffering.

So, I don't worry as much about J (& myself) as I am about his mom & sisters. (His mom is also my friend as we're both lectors at our parish) & both of his sisters had served as TAs in one of my classes at times. Their family and mine are very close (we used to be neighbors). They've just lost their husband/father not too long ago & now this..

Please continue to keep J's mom & sisters in your prayers. They, too, know it in their hearts that they should be rejoyful - but it is humanly impossible at this time.