In 8 days, five people from my general circle/network have passed away.
Last Thursday - a friend's sister
Last Friday - a coworker
Wednesday - a coworker's nephew
Also Wednesday - a friend's mother
Yesterday - another friend's father
What. The. F? Bad things are supposed to happen in threes, not fives. :(
All this does is strengthen my resolve to let people know how I feel about them. I've already told my wonderful brother how much I love him and how proud I am to be his sister. I need to call both parents (how lucky am I to still have them??) today and tell them, again, that I love them. And I tell D every day, but maybe I'll call him and tell him again. Just because.
There are some others, though, that maybe don't know how special they are to me. Hopefully they will see this post.
Eileen, Karen, Heather, Gina, Resha, and Melanie - You guys are like the sisters I never had. I can tell you anything and ask you anything. I can go weeks without seeing or talking to you, and then when we finally do get together it's like time stood still all those weeks. I don't know what I would do without you guys!
Jen and Kathy - My beautiful cousins! More accurately, my beautiful, hilarious, glamorous, wonderful cousins. Every family gathering is memorable, hysterically funny, and amazing, in no small part because of you guys.
Georgia - My other beautiful cousin. You have meant more to me through the years than you can possibly know.
Andrew - Thank you for your friendship and support. I know how unique our situation is, and I'm deeply appreciative that we've been able to remain friends.
Michelle, Andrea, and Jen - I look forward to our workouts, not only because they kick my butt but also because they give us opportunities to catch up on life, tell funny stories, laugh, commiserate, brainstorm, and more. I hope each of you knows how much you mean to me and how close I feel to you.
Julie, Delia, and Tina - College would not have been the same without any of you. I sometimes wonder what life would have been like if I'd chosen my other first choice (Columbia). And then I quickly think, "But then I wouldn't know Delia! Or Julie! Or Tina!" No choice -- not even NYC, my favorite place on earth -- would have been worth that. I know I don't talk to you often anymore because our lives are so scattered, but I cherish the many memories we created together... and know there are many more to come!
Rob - What can I say about Rob? My closest friend from childhood. The Harry to my Sally (without the awkward "We slept together, now what??" moment). :) I hope you know that my entire family considers you a valued family member. (Come to think of it, I don't know if that's flattering or scary. We are a pretty kooky bunch!)
Ann - Another childhood friend. I love catching up with you when you come back to town and getting to know your beautiful family. And every time I play Trivial Pursuit, I think of you!
Michael - I am always so flattered when you introduce me as your sister, even though we are not blood relatives. I think the world of you!
Hug your loved ones, people, and tell them how you feel about them. You just never know.
6 comments:
Geez...I was just mourning because of the Mike Richards trade....and now I read all of these people that have passed away. I love my family too :)
wow, that sucks. At least you are doing something positive out of this by letting the people you are about know.
It's tough stuff to be sure. My parents have been going through the same thing of late with people in their circle of acquaintances passing away.
Your sentiment is spot on target
Wow, that's rough. Good reminder though.
Many would look at the recent events and be angry. I'm so proud of you for taking this opportunity to acknowledge the good in your life.
You have a fantastic family, and amazing friends. You are very lucky, and I hope they all know how very much you love them.
And -- I hope you know how much I love you too.
That is definitely a rough stretch, but leave it to you to find a positive outlet to express your feelings for those you love. Love you and the family too, Sally.
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