Why has the death of Matthew Perry affected so many of us so much?

I WAS in the eighth grade when Chandler Bing and Friends became a regular part of the NBC line-up. Even as a young teen, Friends helped me to imagine what my world would look like post-college, living in New York City surrounded by a quirky collection of friends who had my back through thick and thin.

Funny and handsome with a dash of self-deprecation, Chandler, played by Matthew Perry, was the type of boyfriend I hoped I would have. And even though I would never know Perry personally, it felt like we grew up together – me through my teenage…