Tomorrow is promised to no one

I had just walked in the door from the grocery store and put the bags on the counter.

"You're Dad just called," said Laura in the tone that signals Bad News is coming.

A dear family friend had died. She was a close friend of my Mom's and the mother of a high school buddy of mine.

How is it that Bad News always seems to cut through the "everydayness" of a busy day? One minute you're consumed by thoughts like, "damnit, the car carpets are really dirty," and the next you're reminded of how fleeting, this, really is. After 9/11 I told myself I should tell those I care about how much I appreciate them. Put some thought into it too. Of course, Life slogged on. School and work started up and I was right back to focusing on the "car carpets" of my daily life.

I will say a prayer for the family. I'll call my Mom to check in. And today, I'm going to keep my mind off the carpets and on those things that really matter.