In Memory of Brian....

You don't realize how precious life is until you realize how quickly it can be taken away.

My good friends Tara and Josh lost their father suddenly September 12th. And when I mean suddenly, it was just that. One minute he was here, then next, he was gone. Tara, Josh and I haven't talked much the past few months, you know how life gets busy and we forget who is important in our lives, but the minute I heard about the loss, I knew I had to be there. Whatever was going on in my life had to be put on hold because this is way more important.

They had the ceremony yesterday and it was absolutely beautiful. Josh and Karen (their mother) spoke about the love for Brian and how they will miss him greatly. Many of their loved ones came to the service and it was so amazing to see all the love and support surround that family.

After the ceremony, when I was alone in my room, I got to thinking: what is so important in my life that keeps me out of touch with the people I love? The answer: nothing. There is nothing in this life more important than God, family and friends. We get so caught up in the day to day things that we lose sight of what's important. We get mad at people and stop talking because of stupid reasons. We forget to call someone because we get "busy" with little things. The death of Brian really shook me up and made me realize that "life is but a vapor, which appears for a while, and after that, vanishes(James 4:14)."

So in memory of Brian, I will reach out to loved ones I have lost contact with. I will spend more time laughing and telling jokes and being surrounded by loved ones, then worried about money and time. We don't have a long time on this Earth, and we don't want to one day, on our deathbeds, realize that we should have worried less about work and more about love.

Thanks Brian, for making me realize what's important in life. I'm sorry that it took your passing to make me realize this, but I promise I will enjoy what time I have left on this Earth.

-Liz