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These past few weeks have been an incredibly difficult time for our community as we mourn the loss of a few good men. These losses make you question “Why God?” and it takes me back to college when I feared the loss of my friend.

I was a sophomore at the time and my friend Becca was a freshman. She was from California and we were as different as they come. However, despite our differences she became one of my best friends.

Early on into her freshman year Becca noticed a lump in her neck and asked if I would take her to the doctor, as she didn’t have a car. I agreed and we drove to the doctor; I couldn’t imagine being so far from home and not having someone there to comfort me.

The doctor did a biopsy, but didn’t seem concerned and told her he would contact her with the results.

Becca and I spent most every day together, so when the doctor called I was there and the news he gave her broke me. He explained it was a cancerous lesion and she had thyroid cancer. I was in disbelief that someone this young could be going through something this difficult.

Becca handled it better than I could and asked for a second opinion.

Cancer ran in her family, as her mother was battling breast cancer for the second time.

Her mom was unable to travel, so I began taking Becca to radiation appointments in Birmingham regularly. I tried to make it as comfortable as I could. I would send her with magazines or books to keep her occupied, but my deepest fear was that one day I would have to call her mom and tell her the radiation didn’t work that time.

When Tim McLaughlin went missing late last week, it dredged up these feelings of fear. I can’t imagine what his family felt, but I do remember that fear of receiving a call that she was gone.

Becca went on to have surgery later that year and I couldn’t travel to California to be with her. I knew she was in good hands with her family, but that entire time I couldn’t focus on anything except her surgery. I kept waiting to hear she was in remission or out of the operating room and when I finally got that call, a weight was lifted off my shoulders.

It hurts me knowing Mrs. McLaughlin didn’t receive that call this week that her husband was going to be all right, nor did Mrs. Tiffany a few weeks ago.

So, I have to question “Why God?”

I questioned then why my friend got cancer at such a young age, and I question now why two stand up men had to go so young.

I know we as a community and me as a person may never know the answer, but God knows we are all waiting to see the bigger picture, even when it seems incredibly difficult to find.