Real Life

Lately I've been reeling with the press of the responsibilities of my life. I have a huge event for work coming up, an event that comprises a third of my non-profit's budget; an event that is flopping. I've been stressed and putting in extra hours and trying hard not to completely fail in my role as a mother in the meantime. Beo has convinced me that I needed to put my foodie-nature aside and keep meals a bit more simple until life has calmed down a bit. I must admit that I've been feeling sorry for myself and haven't been the kindest person to anyone, myself included.

Last week I had a reminder about what life is really about. Beo called me on Wednesday to tell me that a friend of his had passed away. This beautiful girl was a former co-worker of Beo's. She was diagnosed with a brain tumor almost two years ago. She fought an admirable battle and came through with flying colors. We last saw her about six months ago, and things were going well. We learned this past week that things suddenly turned around and she declined rapidly, and died a peaceful death on Sunday after having a chance to say goodbye to her family and closest friends, and drifting to sleep. She was 22. Life isn't a given. Life is a gift to be cherished and celebrated. This week was a reminder to me to not put my head down and push forward through life, but to take each moment as a blessing, breathe deeply, be grateful. I'm grateful for this reminder, even though it's a painful one, and I choose to honor her life by remembering to honor the life all around me, including my own.