I woke up this morning thinking how lucky I am. Paul got home last night, finally. Waking up this morning and having him there just made my whole world seem right again. My Horrible Crud virus is not completely gone yet, but I feel well enough to know the end is in sight. I’ll be seeing my family in just a few days, and while things are not perfect, they are at least all still with me. My mom is still recovering from her stroke, and probably will be for some time to come. My dad was in car accident during the snow storm last week, but thankfully he’s okay. And one of my stepsisters has been dealing with some ongoing health issues, but she’s strong and she’s tough and she keeps fighting back. So much to be thankful for, and I woke up ready to do a happy dance.
And now I still feel lucky for all the amazing and wonderful people in my life. But I’m also feeling a bit devastated because I found out when I got home this morning that the world is now short one of those amazing people. Someone I work with died of a heart attack last night. Honestly, I don’t know if there’s been a shortage of good souls in heaven, but the last couple of months we’ve lost far too many good people down here. And Nick was definitely one of the good ones. I wouldn’t say I knew him really well. But I will say that he was one of my favorite people in my office (and across the university for that matter). You know those people that you’re always happy to see? The ones who you just always want to stop and talk to, no matter what else you’re doing, because you know that even the few words you exchange with them will brighten your day? That was Nick. He was a low-key guy, but around here that just made him stand out.
And as if it wasn’t tragic enough, he was only 44 years old, with a wife and a 2 year old son. His family was such a joy for him – you could see it in his face every time he talked about them - and I just can’t stop thinking about how awful this must be for them. My heart is breaking for his family. It’s such a huge loss for so many people, that I still can’t quite get my head around it. And yet, being here at work I can hardly think about anything else.
Life is fragile, people. Cherish the ones that you love, your families, your friends – hold them close, and make sure you tell that you love them as often as you get the chance. Because you never know when you might not have the chance again …
