PAssing of a Colleague, Reprise

I just finished my second day back at the office after the holidays, and I already had the discussion about the passing of our colleague with about ten or twelve people. I needed to talk to somebody yesterday morning. Today, more people trickled back and learned the news for the first time. Monday, almost everyone will be back and I expect very little gets done while the people who have been incommunicado learn the news. Then, we have the same discussions again.

I'm not sure what it is. Was it the fact this person died at the age of 49 and I'm not that far away from that age? Was it the fact that I worked closely with this person? I don't really know. All I do know is that I am coming to terms with the situation and discussion from square-one is retrograde motion for me.

I'll talk about it, though, because my other co-workers have to come to terms with the situation, too. If I can help by talking with them about it, that's what I'll do. Still, that doesn't make it an easy topic.