Our time on earth...

NOTE: I WROTE THIS BLOG BACK IN JUNE, AND DIDNT HAVE THE CHANCE TO POST IT... I FIGURED IT WAS BETTER LATE THAN NEVER...

A wonderful woman passed away last night. She was young, early forties, and she left behind a husband and two young children. It was cancer. Stupid cancer.

She wasn’t a close friend of mine. She was a colleague of my husband. We spent time with her and her family socially on several occasions before they ventured overseas for work. At that point we lost touch, both families busy with life in general. The cancer hit her quickly and we were made aware when she was already headed to hospice. Have I mentioned how stupid cancer is? Yeah, I thought so.

Despite not being close, I really liked her. She was warm and passionate. She was smart. She was sincere. She loved art and appreciated beauty. She worked hard. She loved fully.  I witnessed her being a great mom and, if the outpouring of love at the end of her life was any indication, she was a devoted friend. It wouldn’t surprise me in the least.

She will be sorely missed by so many.

This week is an unusual week, as I am in a training course all week. It ends late, making it possible for me to miss my kids’ bedtime most of the week. I don’t love missing bedtime but I also don’t see it as a tragedy, as my husband is on duty and daddy is pretty cool. My kids are in good hands. Tonight, however, it hit me as I got into my car to drive home. It wasn’t a panic, really, more like urgency. I had to kiss my kids goodnight. I had previously considered running an errand on the way home, as to avoid messing up the calm bedtime by arriving mid event. As I started driving home, however, I changed my mind. I had to get home.

When I arrived home, I went directly upstairs. When I walked into my kids’ rooms, they lit up. I crawled into bed with each of them and asked them about their day. I snuggled them in my arms and I kissed them until they made me stop. I reluctantly obliged. I also brought my neighbor’s little niece her finished art project that she was anxiously awaiting. Luckily, she was still awake and I got the pleasure of seeing her joy at the finished product. 

Moments of sadness are funny that way. They remind you of the value of beauty.

Kristin, you will be missed by so many people and I feel honored to have known you. May you finally feel peaceful watching over your family.