Life is short. We ought not waste a day.

Today I'm reminded of the significance of this life. It can be so easily swept out from underneath us without warning. Last night a classmate from my growing up years lost a sudden and difficult battle with pneumonia. Pneumonia. It wasn't cancer. It wasn't a slow and predictable death, and the diagnosis shouldn't have warranted such a severe outcome. It was quick. It was unassuming. There was little time to respond as she quickly became progressively more ill. Despite doing whatever they could to keep this mid-20's woman alive, she passed away.

I hadn't seen Heidi in a few years, but my memories of her are fresh. I will remember her as a gentle and joy-filled person whose faith was unwavering. Her deepest commitment was to her Creator, and the image I see of her meeting her God is one that moves me to tears. I was recently at a funeral for a family member of my husband, Grandpa Joe. One man told a story of Joe's being elated when he learned of a friend's passing, excitedly responding with, "Good for him!" Today I'm overwhelmed with joy for Heidi as she looks into the face of God, but my heart is full of sorrow for her parents who are now without child, her extended family with whom she was so close, and her friends who walked with her through life and helped shape the person she became. What a significant loss for each one of these people. 

So much pales in significance compared to the meaning found in a life lost. Today I'm challenged to live a life worth remembering, to embrace today fully, and to be grateful for all that I've been given. It's cliche to say that life is short and that we ought not waste a day, but it truly is too short and we really ought not waste a day. Whether we live to be 2 days or 100 years, we're given but a brief moment of time, and each of those moments is pregnant with meaning and significance. How will we use the time we are given? 

Today I'm finding comfort in the arms of my God as I wrestle with this sudden and unexpected loss, but  I also choose joy and gratefulness. Heidi's story reminds me to be thankful for this life and the opportunities it brings. As long as my heart beats, I aim to live fully. May today be significant and meaningful in whatever ways it can be. 

We'll miss you, dear Heidi. Thank you for who you were and the ways you will live on in each of us.