Death is always a surprise, even when we know it's coming, someday. My last conversation with my mother was over a pay phone in the lobby of the student union building at the university. I'd found out she'd died when I called back two days later (in the same lobby) to continue our conversation.

She'd been in the last stages of cancer, so we all knew the end was near... but still.

That was almost 14 years ago now. I still miss her. But now, I remember the laughter more than the pain. I trust the same will be true for you, in time.

Cherish that hug, and the laughs, and the good spirits. They'll be with you always.