Today I received the kind of news that breaks your heart and makes you sit down.   I grew up in a very small town; they type of place where the X number of kids you graduate with are the same ones you entered kindergarden with and most of you lived within a few miles of each other.  One of our neighbors had a boy in my class and a boy, lets call him John, in my younger brother's class and we were friends.  My brother and "John" were very close friends and played sports (baseball, football, basketball, and track) together from pee wee through state competitions in high school.  Earlier this week "John" passed away in a tragic accident. He was just 27 years old.  His wife is due with their first baby this spring.  I am completely in shock. 

I can't begin to imagine what my friend must be feeling to lose his younger brother.  And did I mention that their mom was just diagnosed with terminal cancer with approximately three to four months left?  What an unbelievably hard time for their family.

It is so sad when someone so young, that had so much more to experience, dies.  It is also so hard when it is someone you know and have known since they were just the littlest of kids.  It is unbelievable.  It breaks your heart.

Life is short, my friends.  Kiss your husbands (or boyfriends or fiances).  Kiss your parents.  Be grateful for this time that we have together.

I am going to be taking a little break from the blog this next week to spend the time focused on simply being with my family.  The only thing I can say is take the time to enjoy Thanksgiving.  This year more than past years it seems that the push to jump straight to Christmas is unbelievably strong (ya think that the retail industry needs a win!?).  But I am looking forward to enjoying the Thanksgiving holiday, enjoying the time with family, and being grateful for the time that we have today and hopefully infront of us.