THIS ONE HIT HOME

Today a client of mine shared with me that one of our schools' principals passed away.
She had been battling cancer for 6 1/2 years.

I just sat next to this woman a few months back at a school district re-zoning meeting. We ended up at the same table. She was bright and lovely, wearing a jean jacket and a really great smile. She knew me (sort of) and I knew her (sort of). She is dear friends with one of my current clients. We had met once: During a garage sale I was having this summer; she was heading to the zoo with our neighbor/friend/client and was sitting in the passenger seat while the others got out and quickly shopped. I popped my head into the mini van to say hello and introduce myself and then moved on to the backseat to try to work for a smile from her little boy, Henry who was in his car seat, content with a board book.

After that meeting, I went online and followed her journey loosely. She was very public about her cancer story and shared so much of her heart and positive attitude with the world. One common factor that I keep hearing from others is that she never considered death a possibility. Cancer wasn't going to take her life. She was meant to be a parent and followed her dreams so eloquently. She fought and fought and fought. Her little boy was born via surrogate and was a dream come true for her and her husband.

She fought each day with such courage.
Today she passed away.

Tonight, in the quiet moments since my kids have gone to bed I found myself looking through her blog and reading her words.
I am so incredibly sad for her mother, her husband and her son.
My heart hurts and my eyes are warm and wet as I type.
There is so much she never got to do.
There is so much cancer took away from her and her family and friends.

She made a huge impact in the way she lived and would want others to continue living the same way.
She has touched my life as someone whose story I won't ever forget; reminding me to do a 'perspective check' on how I approach adversity in my life. 

Our choice to move to Colorado at times can feel extremely overwhelming. The to-do lists are never-ending, our road map at times feel uncharted, decisions feel a bit risky and to top it all off, I'm moving far away from a long list of people I love. There are days I play the victim because there seems to be so much to do to make this move possible. There are stretches of time in which Sam is across the country and I'm here holding down the fort.
I'm reminded tonight of Melissa's life and all of the dreams she wasn't able to see through.

In her honor, I will make sure to pursue mine with gratitude and joy.
I'm healthy.
My family members are healthy.
While I think I have all the time in the world, there is no guarantee.
But as of now, I have time.
My time will be prioritized and given to myself and those I love--rather than rushing through life.
Laundry can wait and mountains will be hiked.
While I may falter a few thousand times within this mission, I'll honest to goodness try hard to make the most of each day I am given.

Rest in peace tonight, dear Melissa.
We must find a cure.

*Photo courtesy GoFundMe