Today is our anniversary, 13 years of me being married to THAT MAN YOUR FATHER, as I told the boys this morning, making them laugh. Nah, it's been a great 13 years, and I am quite happy to be married to THAT MAN MY HUSBAND.
Today also marks a very historic election, and I am so happy that I have been a part of it and that my whole family will be able to look back in years to come and remember the excitement that swept the nation, and the remarkable voter turnout to elect a new president, after 8 years of trouble times from W.
But those happier emotions today are overshadowed by the unexpected death of a friend. Unknown to many, including me, she suffered from depression, and it got the better of her, She tried to take her own life, and after three days in a coma in the hospital, she died. A flurry of thoughts and emotions are hitting so many of us full impact --feelings of shock and sadness and confusion and mourning, wishes for what might have been and what should have been, love for our friend, sympathy and caring for her family, gratefulness for the time that we got to share in her life, anger that there is no remaining opportunity to help her get through her troubles, frustration that there is no way to share in her life again, and yet hope that we can take a lesson from this tragedy and turn it into a way to better the lives of those around us, through love and kindness and thoughtfulness and friendship.
Reach out to someone today. It might be someone you see all the time but rarely tell how special he or she is to you. It might be someone you haven't spoken to in weeks, or months, or years. It might be someone you had a falling out with and it's time to reestablish your friendship. It might be a stranger who could use a smile. Give someone a hug. The power of a smile and touch is immense. Spread the love, make the days brighter, and maybe even save a life.
Dessa, I will miss you, as will all who knew you. Though you felt darkness toward the end, you were a bright light in our lives.
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