Cherish Each Day

I received a phone call this morning from my friend Missy. Missy and I worked at Retina Consultants together, and since we've both left the office we still keep in touch. She called with some really hard news this morning.

One of the girls we worked with at Retina, recently had a stroke. She is recovering and from what Missy had heard, is expected to fully recover. This update really hit me hard, and I cried a lot this morning over it. Bad things should not happen to good people, but unfortunately they do.

J is an amazing person. She and I only worked together for about a year. As things happen, we lost touch over the past year. I really enjoyed working with her, and loved hearing her stories about her son. J is a single mom, raising her son who is probably 5 now. Her son's dad wasn't in the picture much, but J did her best to make sure that her son got to spend time with him if he wanted. She worked full-time to support herself and her little boy. A few months before I left Retina, she had started a nursing program in order to open up more opportunities for her. I remember her studying at work and talking to me about how difficult it was working and going to school, but that she was doing it for her son. He would "study" with her and support her in his own little way.

Missy informed me that J had just finished up her program and had gotten a full-time position with Retina (she had to cut down to part-time while she was in her program). Apparently she had gone to Charleston Town Center to do some celebratory shopping and the next thing she remembered, she was in the hospital. I was so happy to hear that she was able to walk across the stage, with the help of a walker, to receive her nursing diploma. She is such a strong woman and had already overcome many obstacles. This is another one, and it breaks my heart that it happened to her.

When situations like this occur, it makes me remember that I'm not in control of everything. None of us know what is going to happen day to day. Do you remember the last thing you said to your loved ones when you left, or ended a phone conversation? Sometimes, in the hustle and bustle of life, we take forgranted that our loved ones know how special they are to us and just how much we love them. I know for certain there are days in the past where I would not have wanted the last thing I said to someone before leaving to be the last thing I said to them period. We don't know how long we have. I don't mean it to sound depressing, it's just truth. Sometimes we need that reminder in order to evaluate the way we are living our lives. I tell my daughter every day, multiple times, how much I love her. I don't always do the same for my other family members and loved ones. Live each day to its fullest, cherish each moment - good or bad, and always tell the people you love how much they mean to you.

Please keep J in your thoughts and prayers. I pray she has a speedy recovery and is back to playing with Tyler, working, and being an awesome nurse in no time.