A man shot himself at my desk this week. It came at the end of a twelve-hour standoff with police, during which he held the owner of the company hostage.

Beyond the shock, life goes on. I returned to work two days later to find a bare concrete floor because the carpeting had been ripped out. All of my things had been cleaned and moved out of the office. It was my job to put it all back.

I had to replace a few things that could not be cleaned. I had to go through papers sleeved in plastic and copy what was important. The blood stains on the originals were already turning brown.

It was impossible to get through all of this without thinking of the man who died there and to grieve for him and his loved ones. I did not know him and I was not there when he decided to camp out in my office. It simply made sense to him to be there.

Perhaps someday, I will be able to write more about this, but for now, the shock is too great.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. Psalm 23: 4, NIV