perspective

I've done a lot of reflecting lately on where I am with life and career, often wishing I could do more with the latter. There's nothing like a piece of bad news to put it all into perspective, though. I just found out my next door neighbor has breast cancer. It's still too early for a full diagnosis, but when she told me I felt a little like the wind had been knocked out of me. She is my age, or perhaps a few years older (I'm 33). My first thought upon hearing the news was of course, Oh no, this sucks, I'm so sorry she and her partner have to go through this. She is such a wonderful person and this just isn't fair. My second thought was, Oh God, this could happen to me. I better schedule my annual (and overdue) physical and ask about getting a mammogram.


The other gut-punch I got this week was when I heard Daniel's teacher explaining to another adult volunteer that some of the students in the class are homeless, so they have frequent absences. I didn't know this. I know many of them are poor, and some have unstable home lives. But homeless...that came as a shock, though I suppose it shouldn't have.

So I'm sad today.

Cliché as this statement is, moments like these make me think about what's really important, about all that I have to be grateful for, and the things we should appreciate. Life is short.