BookWenches

(posted by Bobby)

I have a beautiful, amazing, vivacious friend who has been battling cancer for the last year and a half. Today, my husband and I received an email telling us that the chemotherapy that has made her so weak and so very sick for the past year has finally run its course. It has failed, her organs are dying, and her poor husband can do nothing more than love her and try to make her last days as happy as he possibly can.

She's only a couple of years older than I am (and that is damned young, peoples). She has so much to offer: joy that lights up a room, a dazzling smile, a complete lack of fear as she rides her motorcycle faster and I ever would have dared, selflessness. When I wrecked my own bike and fractured my skull a few of years ago, she gave up her time to hold my hand during the day and keep me entertained. It's simply not fair, dammit, and I now not only do I feel devastated with sadness but I feel powerless as well. 

Life is fleeting. We need to find joy in our existence daily, show our loved ones how we feel about them, and be as kind as possible to those less fortunate than we are. Because it can all be over in less time than we think. Am I so devastated because my beautiful friend has reminded me of my own mortality? Possibly. Dammit, the people I care about should live forever. 

This entry is a downer, and I apologize for that. But my ultimate message is this: appreciate the small joys in life right now, whether that be reading, writing, riding a motorcycle, or bungee-jumping. We can't let things like the economy, a bad hair day, or a few extra pounds get in our way, because in the long run...none of that stuff really matters.