Take the time ..

Today I learned of the sudden passing of a friend of mine. This was someone I'd yet to meet in person but we became acquainted via the website and for the past 15 mos., she has emailed me several times a month, wrote the most gloriously descriptive emails about her latest acquisitions from Zuni Spirits and even mailed a baby gift when Ashley's baby boy was born last April.

We talked (via email) about our families, our pets, our likes and dislikes, our political opinions, work life, gardening, cooking, and of course, Zuni fetishes. I immediately trusted her. She was clearly an exceptionally strong (former parole officer!) and honest person. She was opinionated but so am I and since we usually agreed, that was a plus! So, knowing her degree of ethics, coupled with her appreciation for Zuni fetishes, Dave and I asked her to proofread our book before we went to final press knowing she would be as meticulous as we needed her to be.

When the book arrived a couple of weeks ago, she immediately placed an order though we had already planned to gift her with a copy in gratitude for her sharp eye and attention to detail. Then, once the book was mailed on 10/18, we happily awaited her assessment. When a few days went by and an email didn't come -- I emailed her to check that she had, in fact, received it and to make sure she was okay. Still no response. Hmmm. I started to write a note ... in fact I did write a note, enclosed a picture of Ashley and Baby Trey, addressed the envelope and sealed it. But before I put a stamp on it something made me check the obituaries at Legacy.com. I don't know why -- I have never done that before! Imagine my shock and sadness when her name suddenly appeared!

I very much regret not calling now when I first thought something might be amiss. But my hearing and lack of an unreliable cell signal (since "Ike") usually prevents telephone conversations. Still .. I wish I had tried. Too often I think we get "messages" - that nagging feeling to call a friend, send a card, make a spontaneous visit. And sadly, I think most people ignore them and when we do we usually realize - when it's too late - that we've missed an opportunity that will not come along again in this lifetime.

Remember to tell the people in your lives what they mean to you. Don't count on there being a next week or even a tomorrow. There are no guarantees. Show your love and appreciation NOW, people, life is SHORT!

I'm grateful for all of you, friends!

Some pics from yesterday afternoon ...