This Life

As I get older, I'm learning that this life I've been given is oh so precious.  It is short.  It can sometimes be filled with joy and it can sometimes be filled with a lot of sadness and despair.  When I was growing up, I can remember hearing of older people having the misfortune of health problems, primarily cancer.  At that point in my life, I felt as if that was kind of "normal" although sad but I knew these people had lived a good life and I guess I just felt this could be a part of getting older.  I, in a way, expected it.

I'm currently 36.  I don't consider myself old.  In fact, 40, 50, 60 doesn't seem old to me.  What bothers me is that even at 36, I know several people that are battling cancer or other serious health problems and they are all around my age or, worse yet, children.  The numbers are rising and I feel like I can't go a day without hearing about one more person being diagnosed or losing the battle.

I am so deeply saddened by this that I can't even wrap my mind around it.  On one hand, I want to wrap my family up in bubble wrap and keep them in this house forever and on the other hand, I want to live life to the absolute fullest every second of every day because you just never know when it's gonna drastically change.

Life is so fragile.  Hug your kids, kiss your husband a little more and leave the dishes in the sink and the dust on the shelf.  Watch your kids, even if it's the 50th time they've done something.  You never know when it could be the last time.