Late last Wednesday evening John Jones died. I never met him, but have been haunted by the tragic death of this medical student who perished in Utah's Nutty Putty Cave. All frantic efforts by 130 search and rescue volunteers failed to save him, and after being stuck upside down for 27 hours in the dark, he died. He was only 26 and left behind a pregnant wife, a 14 month old daughter, parents, siblings, and friends.

Death is a wake up call, a constant reminder that life is only temporary. No one expected John to die so suddenly. Now he's gone, permanently entombed in the cave that claimed his life. Death is a thief that robs us of loved ones. It is sneaky and unpredictable and often calls when we least expect it. The lesson it teaches is that we cannot afford to take people for granted. You never know when they will no longer be around to irritate you.