A Gentle Reminder About Life

​My childhood friend of 40 years passed away this week.

I keep saying it out loud, hoping it will help my heart catch up with what my mind already knows.

It was sudden. Unexpected. Tragic.

The world keeps moving forward as if nothing has changed, yet, everything has. Between work, caring for my daughter, and the quiet responsibilities of everyday life, I haven’t had much time to process. The tears mostly come in private.

Right now I feel a mix of things.
Numb.
Angry.
Sad.

Meg loved her family and friends fiercely. She was the kind of person who showed up. Always. Strong. Sarcastic. Funny. Compassionate. The steady rock.

Over the years we walked through so many chapters of life, side by side. Awkward middle school years. First crushes and heartbreaks. Prom and cheerleading. Long coffee dates and road trips. College. Careers. Marriage. Divorce. Birthdays. Children. Illness. Loss. And countless moments of laughter that made your stomach hurt.

Forty years of memories.

A part of me left with her.
And yet another part of her will live on inside of me forever.

I share this with you because life is incredibly precious.

We don’t always get the chance to say goodbye. We don’t always get the last hug or the last conversation. Sometimes the phone rings and life changes in a single moment.

And yet it’s so easy to forget in the rhythm of daily life.

We forget to soften. To really look someone in the eye. To smile. To forgive.
To love (anyway).

So much of the suffering we carry comes from the stories we conjure up in our minds.

One of the greatest gifts we can give ourselves is the courage to get quiet for a few minutes each day. Enough space to meet ourselves honestly. Our fears. Our judgments. Our anger. Our grief. Our doubts.

When we learn to sit with those parts of ourselves, something shifts. Compassion grows. Peace becomes possible. Love becomes easier.

Those taken from us too soon no longer have the time to do this work. We do.

Today is a good day to choose kindness. To reach out to someone you love. To say the thing that matters. To forgive the small things. To live in a way that leaves the world a better place.

Life is fragile. And it is a gift so let’s make it count.

Xx -
​BeAnne 

---