Not Just Cats – Life, Death, Seat Belts, and Memorial Weekend
Live life like a cat exploring the outdoors… For them, every sense is on high alert and nothing is left unnoticed…
Hello Everyone –
I wish I could be writing from a happier place, but my co-worker’s 35 year old daughter was killed suddenly a few days ago in a car accident and it has left me deeply saddened for her loss. The death of a loved one is never easy, but in the natural order of life, having a child pass before a parent is just so unbearable and I pray she has the strength to go on. And to make an already unimaginable situation worse, it turns out had she been wearing a seat belt while driving, it probably would have saved her life.
I share this personal news only to serve as a reminder that our lives are so fleeting and I want only the best for all of you. It is cliché, but no truer words are spoken than that we only have one life and we need to try our best to appreciate each blessed moment we are given and to live it to the fullest extent possible because we never know when it will be our last.
I shared this quote back in January and it remains an inspirational favorite of mine.
In January I shared a heartfelt post about entering the new year with the possibility of pursuing dreams, making changes, personal rejuvenation, and setting goals. As the middle of the year descends upon us, I wonder how many of us have either given up on those dreams or forgotten about them all together for whatever reason or excuse we have. I ask each of you today to take a quick moment to revisit where all of you are at this point in your life – are you where you want to be or do you still want more for yourself?
Are you a smoker who had planned on giving it up but couldn’t? Or are you frustrated that your life seems to be passing you by without any real purpose or sense of being? Or maybe you are holding a grudge with someone for whatever reason or you are staying in a bad relationship, whether it be work related or personal because you are afraid to move on.
Life live with this simple understanding – the words you speak to someone might be the last words they hear – may those words always be spoken with kindness and respect and not anger, bitterness, and resentment.
All I can say is that if nothing else, we must learn from her tragedy so that a life is not lost in vain. Pull out that bucket list of yours and start checking things off. Learn new skills, go to school, smoke that last cigarette, write a book, play the piano, travel, learn a new language, eat sushi for the first time, adopt another cat. Breathe. Live. Love. Embrace. But most of all, just do something and remember that we are never too young or too old to appreciate what life has to offer.
Yup… this is one cat who never lives in regret!
Please don’t live your life waiting for someone else or something else to change your circumstances. We all want to win the lottery but that should not be the road map to bettering your life. Personal fulfillment comes from breaking past your own comfort zone and grabbing life. In other words, dare to follow your own dreams rather than living in the shadow of someone else’s. And whatever it is for you, no matter how large or small the goal, take that first step moving towards it and remember to be kind to yourself and others along the way. And don’t worry if you fail. Failure is nothing more than a stepping stone to eventually getting it right!
Just keep this simple thought in mind – what if your tomorrow doesn’t come? Take care of yourself now. I leave you with this – all of you – those that comment and those that read my blog from afar – you are all special and important to me. I thank you for your friendship and support and want you to know you matter to me. If nothing else is gained from this post, if you don’t wear a seat belt, or you know of people in your life that don’t wear one, I beg of you to reconsider and please wear one.
And one last thing – although the sales, the extra day off, and the barbecues are nice, with this being Memorial Day weekend, please remember it is a time to honor and respect all the men, women, and animals who have given so selflessly to make America the glorious place it is to live. May their memories never be forgotten and a heartfelt thank you to all of them for their time in service.
Memorial Day – Monday, May 26th, 2014
Be safe everyone have the best weekend you can – I am sorry if I brought any of you down, I did not mean to, but when I write, it always comes from my heart and I can’t turn off the emotional place I am at right now. Give your kitties extra love today and a special hug from me.
I leave you with this precious image of Zoey with her daughters, Peanut and Mia. I am grateful she has these beautiful babies in her life and that they all love one another so much.
I’m so sorry for your coworker’s loss. I don’t know how you come back from something like that. Your post is very powerful: a poignant reminder to all of us to live in the moment, because, as you said, tomorrow may never come. And aren’t we the lucky ones that we have our cats to remind us of this every day!
Definitely live in the moment! Beautiful post.
That was a beautiful post. It always makes me sad that humans can be such slow learners.
From a woman who lost her 21 year old sister to a car accident in Winter and then on a Sunny Spring Day she promised her Mom to always wear a seatbelt, it was a beautiful post. Thank you for reminding people.
Hi Deb I am so sorry about this HUGE loss for your co worker which must be so heartbreaking. There are no words. Thanks for the reminders which we all need to not take things for granted and live every moment. I don’t know why humans need these reminders. I guess it is just human nature. God bless you and yours. Give your friend a hug from me. <3margaret
That was very powerful. So heartbreaking to hear about your co workers daughter. My grandma always said there was nothing worse than losing a child first and a parent having to go on without them. I hope many do make changes in their lives or start to fulfil their bucket list. They say you only life once so make the best of it.
Happy Memorial day
Such a beautiful yet so very sad post.
Thank you for sharing
It’s difficult to grasp a sudden and violent loss like your co-worker’s daughter–even though we aren’t related to the persons who are lost and their families we can still carry this as a very real loss in our own life. We can practice safe driving, eat only the right foods for us and set up our homes for the best daily life but still things can happen beyond our control.
And it’s been easy for me to put off time for my creative life every day “until I get this or that done”, but so far this year I’ve had a productive session nearly every day, no excuses, and participate in other creative events. Days like yesterday when I helped a single mom and her kids get their two-year-old cat to an emergency clinic and eventually put him to sleep remind me to hug my cats, and my people, and get to the business of what’s meaningful in my life. Thank you for sharing your experience.
Oh, I’m so very sorry for your coworker’s loss. How terribly tragic. What a beautiful post. Thank you for reminding us to cherish every moment.
(((purrs)))
Thank you Deb for your vulnerability in this post. It is a bittersweet reminder to live life to the fullest, every moment of every day. My heart goes out to your friend. Thank you for sharing this with us. <3
We’re so sorry for your coworker’s loss. There are never adequate words for such a sad loss. We love how you take the moment to remind everyone to life life to the fullest. Such an important reminder.
that is beyond devastating about your co-worker’s daughter, I am so terribly sorry. You are right, we all must appreciate what we have today, none of us are guaranteed tomorrow. Beautiful post.
Please let your co-worker know how sorry we are for her loss.
What a reminder to live today for all it is worth. It is just too bad that sometimes it takes tragedy to remind us of that.
I am sorry for your co workers loss. My thoughts and prayers are with her.
Thank you for speaking from your heart – this is a powerful, wonderful post.
Great post. It is just unreal to me why people don’t wear seat belts.So sorry about your friend’s daughter. Very sad.
It’s never wrong to write from the heart. I’m sorry to hear of your co-worker’s loss of her child. Losing a child at any age is an unimaginable tragedy. Death and crossroads are always wake-up calls to live more deeply and on purpose. Illness can be as well as I’m discovering as I document my healing journey at Boomer Muse.
Conforting purrz to your coworker. In NJ waring seatbelts is the law. TW says the best years of her life are way behind her and that there’s nothing good to look forward to. She’s had fun, love and adventure; and has no regrets. OK, maybe a few. Have a safe weekend.
What very sad new to read. The loss of a child is unnatural and devastating. While I’ve not experienced it myself, I have witnessed it first hand and feel ill equipped to offer anything helpful. Thank you for reminding us, your faithful readers that remembering those who have passed is important today, but above all that LIVING today–here and now, with or without everything we imagine comprises the best life, is something to do every day. Every single day. Peace to your friend. And to you, for sharing from your heart.
Deb, Please express my sincerest sympathies to your co worker on the loss of her daughter. Laura