Life is precious...

In a round about way - I found out yesterday that a friend from back in high-school was diagnosed with a horrible brain tumor recently that he more than likely will not survive. I am just so profoundly sad about it even though I have not kept in contact with him or his family through the years.

It's funny how quickly and suddenly life can just speed by or come to a crushingly sudden halt and all the sudden we can't remember the past or believe that there may be no future. This summer marked the 8 year anniversary of my being cancer free and I remember so clearly, as if it were yesterday, that I made a promise to myself to not take life for granted and to truly appreciate what I have in my family and my life in general. The first few years - I felt like a really made an effort to do that...but as the years have briskly moved forward...I think to myself..."Have I kept up that effort? Cuz I seem to hear myself complaining more and being grateful for less."

So I started back up on my "Gratefuls" list. I want to find at least 1 thing that I can be grateful for each day...try not to repeat them too much...and see if that helps me keep my effort up. I hate that it takes news like this to wake me up...and it perhaps sounds cheesy and less than genuine at this particular time to want to reach out to people in my life and find some way to communicate how much I appreciate them and their impact in my life...but it's there. Always surfacing in that "I meant to take the time" category and not ever acted upon as much as it should be.

I AM GRATEFUL!!!