Life is too short

I found out over the weekend that one of my friends had passed away.  She was in her early thirties; it was from complications from liver disease.  I considered her a friend, although we had grown apart.  As I've mentioned before, I'm pretty horrid at keeping up with people.  She and I weren't especially close, but I do feel her loss.  I feel for her family, her nieces and nephews, her husband. 

We were able to recently reconnect on a popular social networking site, and I was able to send her a message.  Which I am very grateful for. 

I'm just reminded (as I usually am at these times) about how short life is. 

Really, it is awfully, completely brief.  I say that to friends, and they sometimes look at me like I'm being morbid.  I'm not trying to be morbid. I'm trying to be realistic.

When people talk about "the grand scheme of things" - this is what I think of.  People who are taken too young. I think about my own mortality and what I want to do with my life, who I want to be.  I'm thinking of which values I want to live by, and whether or not I'm truly living that way.  And if I'm not doing what I really want to do, why not?

I wish my friend peace.