When someone you’ve known for a long time passes away, you tend to do some re-evaluating about your life and you realize more than ever your own mortality. A friend of mine and my family’s died yesterday after a year-long battle with cancer. She was only fifty-years-old and left two young children to be raised by their father. It’s a sad situation and one that weighs on me because I wish things could have turned out differently for them — for her to have beaten that terrible disease and be here to watch her two sons grow up. However, I also understand that dying is a part of life and we must all experience it some day in some way.

Reflecting on our friend’s passing, I thought about how she lived life and had a lot of fun times with her family and how I and everyone else should make sure we spend as much quality time as possible with those we love. Make even more memories with our kids whether they’re small or grown. Take a load of photos. Smile and laugh more. Have fun! Get out of the house more often and do things together with those we love for some day, the opportunity will be gone. At least when the time comes, we would be satisfied knowing we had wonderful times together which will be reflected upon for many years to come. Don’t think that in order to do that, you need money for expensive vacations and special paid events. Sometimes, a casual walk together every day or a few times a week is good; going window shopping or browsing through the Mall; going out for coffee and/donuts – that sort of thing doesn’t cost much; making it a point to regularly watch your kids sporting or other extra-curricular activities; going to community events that are free of charge; sitting on the back porch in the evenings watching the sunset and talking about your day (what a wonderful thing to do!); even having “movie night” each week at the cinema or at home. There are endless possibilities.

I am going to get out more with my kids and husband, and enjoy life right along with them. We’ve made many awesome memories in the past, but we can make even more. The cares of this life every so often must be put on hold or placed on the back burner because our loved ones matter so much more. I invite you to re-evaluate your own life and see where improvements can be made; where more time can be taken out for your family, and what fun things you can do together from time to time. When it’s all said and done, each of us wants to know that we’ve done our very best in the lives of those we hold dear.