Pouring My Heart Out - Christmas Cheer

Monday morning, I logged onto Facebook to be nosey check my news feed and the first thing that popped up was a post from a friend of mine from school. Her husband had passed away. He was 45 years old and healthy. She ran to pick up some food and when she got home, he was dead. Just... dead. I can't seem to stop thinking about this friend. We were not close friends, in fact I think we only had one class together, but we took our breaks together and chatted on FB after I finished school. It just hit me how short life can be. This friend just posted last week about her and her husband spending the day Christmas shopping. They have 3 teenage children, and now he is just gone.

Most of us really do take things for granted. We never stop to think that our loved ones could be taken from us in an instance.My husband could leave for work in the morning, get in a car accident and never return home. We could go to the store with our kids and get hit by a drunk driver. Anything could happen.

My mother is 60 years old, and we are very close. She's not in good health though, she is diabetic, has high blood pressure, and is close to having full blown glaucoma. I know she won't be here forever. She could be gone tomorrow; we just never know.

Earlier this year, a young woman that my mom works with was on her way to work and came upon an accident. She got out to help and was hit by another car and killed. This woman had just lost a bunch of weight and was learning to enjoy life again with her teenage daughter. My mom had just gotten to work and had a voicemail from this woman from the night before. She picked up the phone to call her back when the announcement came that she was gone.

Just a few months ago, the same thing happened to a 6th grade teacher in the area. She was on her way to school, came upon an accident, stopped to help, even wearing a bright vest because she was a volunteer firefighter. She was also hit by a car and killed, while her 6th graders patiently waited for her.

Life is so short. We could go to bed tonight and not wake up in the morning. We need to stop so much drama with our loved ones, stop sweating the small stuff, and enjoy the time we have with our family and friends. Don't argue about the small stuff or take each other for granted. The time will come when that person won't be there any more and you will regret all of the time you missed out on because of petty bullshit. You will cry and do anything to have that time back, to apologize, and give that person a hug.

My grandfather died when my mom was 13 years old. He had a stroke and died a couple of days after Christmas, and was buried on New Year's Eve. My mom has never been one to celebrate New Year's. When I was a kid, she would stay up and watch the ball drop with me, but that was it. She was never one to go out and party or celebrate the New Year because she always remembered her father's death. I remember my Grandmother telling me the story of how it happened. They were in the car, my grandma was driving, talking away to my grandpa, and he just stopped talking. He was unconscious in the seat next to her because he had a stroke. He was in the hospital for a few weeks before he passed, but it wasn't much of an existence.

People can be taken from us in the blink of an eye. Grab a hold of your family and friends, give them a big bear hug and tell them how much you love them, even during the bickering and fighting. If not, you may regret it one day.