I lost a close friend in 5th grade. Several more shortly after high school. This is just me, but yeah It had that effect.
I think it is difficult for people who have not lost parents/children/spouses to understand this. And the more people you lose who are very close to you the worse it gets because each death also brings about the pain of the previous ones, also forcing you to think "I will be next". For me these deaths have probably been the most important growth experiences in my life.
Maybe for some? it wasn't for me.I have noticed that a few people, including myself, who have lost parents or loved ones at younger ages (childhood, young adulthood, 20s) tend to be more conscious of their own mortality and also of the passage of time. I lost both of my parents by the time I was 34 and now, at almost 39, I feel like I reflect on my own death a lot and on how short life's duration is. I also find that I have this urge to complete the things I want to complete in order to leave behind a legacy.
Does this sound like something other people have been through? Is this constant time urgency and contemplation on the shortness of life a constant in later adulthood, I wonder?
This is true for me. It has made me a better parent and friend. This is how I want to use my time. Loving others and learning to love myself.