Tragic

Over the past two days I've received some very sad news. Two young people, both siblings of friends of mine, have passed away. One after a life long struggle with spina bifida and additional complications, the other from a very aggressive cancer and its subsequent effects. The first was Gavin, whom I didn't know personally, but my good friend Shannon talked about him a great deal while she was down here, and the second was Naomi - my best friend Mayumi's big sister. I've known Naomi since I was 14 - she was the older, responsible genius who never seemed to be at the mercy of that tipical girlish silliness that gripped Mayumi and I throughout highschool (and to this day it seems ;) . She always seemed to know what she was talking about, I always had the impression that she didn't stumble along like so many of us do, she had this kind of flashlight in the dark and she knew the way - she was just so smart and more self-assured. She and her equally brilliant husband were going to have brilliant babies....

It isn't just heart-breaking, its of course also a wake-up call. Sometimes it takes a death to snap you back into living consciously, and not just going about your day, but really evaluating what is important and making an effort to live well, actively, and with the best intentions for yourself and others. It also of course makes me think of my friends and family and how lucky I am to have them.

So here's to Gavin and Naomi, we wish they could've remained with us much longer, but we are glad for the time they were here, and we'll keep with us the lessons that their lives have taught us.