What is the most tragic thing you've ever had to deal with

[pokulator]

for me personally it was the loss of one of my best friends shortly after we all finished college. a 23 year-old guy ran a bunch of cars off the road before slamming into my friend who was going through the green light at the intersection. my friend died instantly and the guy who hit him pleaded insanity and said that he was on a mission from the devil to kill as many people as possible. the guy was free less than 6 months later.

a close second was when the kid that i mentor (11 years old at the time) found out that his dad who had been released from prison 8 months earlier was dead. the dad had been missing for 6 months before word got back that he had died and his body was burned at a homeless encampment.

lastly, another good friend of mine lost his older brother to a heroin overdose just after high school. then his little brother committed suicide 6 years later on the anniversary of the oldest brother's death. it was later discovered that the youngest brother had been writing letters to the oldest brother for years after he had died.