The past few weeks in the Miss-Lou have reminded us that life is fragile.

On Sunday, the Adams County community was shocked to learn of the death of longtime Adams County Sheriff’s Office deputy Wayne Rabb, 66, who died after being stung by a wasp while working in his yard.

Anyone who ever met Rabb is sure to remember what a friendly man he was.

Rabb was in good health, and it is hard to believe something as simple as a wasp sting can be deadly, but it can.

Apparently Rabb had only recently learned that he was allergic to wasp stings. Sunday’s sting resulted in anaphylaxis shock that led to Rabb’s death, officials said.

Also recently in Concordia Parish, Guy Murray, 40, died unexpectedly of a heart attack.

Murray also was a kind man who left behind a wife and two children.

Murray had been a great public servant as well, having served as the homeland security director for the Concordia Parish Police Jury helping the community deal with flooding from the Mississippi River and other disasters.

Murray also had announced his plans to run for the Louisiana House of Representatives.

The heart attack cut his life and ambitions short at a young age.

Both Rabb and Murray were seemingly healthy and going about their normal day when their lives were cut short.

Their deaths are stark reminders that when we get out of the bed in the morning we are not guaranteed to make it to the end of the day.

Both Rabb and Murray lived their lives to the fullest and were committed to making their communities better through their work, and they will be missed.

They left us good examples of how we should strive to live our lives in service to others and not take a single day for granted.

Another close call, further drives home the point in Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office Deputy Walter Mackel’s recent brush with death.

Mackel, who is another fine example of a public servant, was doing his job recently when a robbery suspect shot him.

The bullet missed vital organs by fractions of an inch and thus Mackel survived.

Mackel is tough enough that he returned from the hospital within a week and is recovering with hopes of going back to work soon.

I’m sure Mackel realizes what a close call he had and his experience is a reminder to all of us as well of the fine line between life and death.

Death is one of the few certainties in life. None of us get out of here alive, as they say.

We also do not know when we will be called home, so all we can do is live life to the fullest, try to make the world a better place for our being here and be kind to our neighbors, whether it be through public service as Rabb, Murray and Mackel exemplify or through daily acts of good will toward our fellow men.

We will miss Rabb and Murray and their good works.

We are fortunate to still have Mackel with us and look forward to him being fully recovered soon.

Thanks for the great example you have set for us and for reminding us not to take our time on Earth for granted.

Scott Hawkins is editor of The Natchez Democrat. Reach him at 601-445-3540 or scott.hawkins@natchezdemocrat.com.