Tragedy envy

Long ago, (long enough that I cannot remember the context) I saw a woman (at least I think it was a woman) give a presentation about her family. She started with herself and her husband, and proceeded with all of their children. This was accompanied by a projected image of the family that kept adding children. Until one fateful moment in the presentation. Two of the children (I think twins) tragically died. And they were turned into ghostly images of themselves in the picture. This was a horrible, awful, occurrence, but all I could think was "Wouldn't it be AWESOME if something like that happened to my family?"

I'm sure I would hate it if it actually happened to me, but I find myself jealous of people who have undergone great tragedies. Or even small ones. My life is really, really cushy. I am not impoverished. I have a functional family. I have no serious medical problems. I am decently mentally capable. I have no legitimate complaints about life, and I think that's what bugs me. I want the personal authority that, justly or unjustly, comes from surviving a great tragedy. I want the forced maturity that those who experience superlative grief gain. I want the ability to dismiss others' pain as less than my own.

I want it all. But without actually getting hurt, please? Is that too much to ask?