Life is short.

I was gently reminded today of just how fragile and short and wonderful this life truly is. This morning I had a real treat. One of my very best friends from high school came over to meet my darling little girl. As we sat and talked about our life 10+ years ago we laughed a lot. It was so fun to sit there and talk to someone who grew up with me, experienced many of life's most embarrassing moments with me and is still my friend all these years later. She and I are at different places in life and yet, when we do see each other and do talk, it is just like it always was! We will be friends forever, we have to be, she knows too much about me!

As we sat on my couch talking, she told me of another friend whom I haven't seen in years, and how her older sister recently passed away due to Inflammatory Breast Cancer. I couldn't believe it! Just last night on the 10 o'clock news, a segment was run about Inflammatory Breast Cancer. Apparently it makes up only 5% of all breast cancers and yet it is almost always fatal. IBC patients are usually quite young and because of it's symptoms, it often goes untreated until it is too late and has metastasized. I thought of my old friend and her sister and her family. She passed away after a two year battle. She had a loving husband. She had five children. She had a life. She was loved. She had cancer anyway.

My thoughts immediately went to my own sister-in-law. She has been fighting a battle with breast cancer herself. She was told in May that she had breast cancer. She has five children. She has a loving husband. She got cancer anyway. After several months, Rose is still fighting her cancer. She has undergone months of chemo, a major surgery, and now radiation. In the middle of the chemo she was told it had gone to her lungs and was inoperable. After a few more rounds of chemo and a family fast, the spots on her lungs were gone! She is the strongest person I know, oh, did I mention that she was the Relief Society president when she got the diagnosis and six months later.....she is STILL the RS president?!? She is faithful. She is strong. She is a teacher to everyone.

So, now wondering if my ranting is making any sense, I am just thinking about life. How short it can be but how amazingly wonderful it can be too. I have been very blessed in my 27 years. I have awesome parents who have loved me and raised me and taught me the gospel. I have a sister who is my best friend and is always there for me. I have four protective and loving brothers who I know would do anything for me. I have an incredible husband who has been my rock and my support system through many hard things. I have been a mother for 52 short days and it is incredible and amazing and everything I ever wanted and hoped it would be. I love my little girl so much and I love my life. I have a great ward family, awesome neighbors and amazing friends. I know that if my journey ended tomorrow, it would be ok. (Well actually, if it ended in April 2010, it would be ok, because I would be sealed to my sweet baby girl and my rockin' hubby.) I have been given so many things and I feel so utterly overwhelmed some days. Life is short. Live it. Love it. Be grateful for it because as we all know, it can change very quickly.