Life's Like an Hourglass, Glued to the Table...

No one can find the rewind button, girl...

I love that song. And I so wish there was a rewind button. Yesterday, an old friend of mine died unexpectedly. I hadn't seen her in years, though I'd been in touch recently with her husband, also an old friend (actually, he was my friend first). We used to work together when we were in our 20's; we were at each others' weddings; we hung out most weekends for several years. She was sweet and funny and kind. She was loving and much loved - by her friends, her family, and most of all, her husband and son (who is Ryan's age). I'm so sad for all of them. And I'm stunned that another person my age has died.

Over the weekend, I found out that a girl I went to high school with died of cancer. Just a couple of months ago, a guy from my class died of a heart attack, not long after running a road race (one of many over the previous year). And some of you might remember my friend Mark's death last fall, as I posted about him a couple of times.

For the last year, my Aunt Jean, one of my favorite people on the planet, has battled an awful cancer that nearly got the best of her... but it didn't. I'm happy to say she's in remission, for which I'm unbelievably grateful.

All these events have made me realize how easy it is to get caught up in our day-to-day existence... how easy it is to simply forget just how fragile and fleeting Life really is.

But it is fragile. It is fleeting. We're not here for long, even though days and weeks and years (especially those when we're dealing with the darker parts of Life) can sometimes seem interminable.

In light of this realization, I posted some advice on my Facebook page this morning. I don't always take my own advice but I'm really going to try this time...

~ Find your passions and pursue them.
~ Pick your causes and give your time and energy - give yourself - to them.
~ The people you love? Love them extraordinarily well.
~ The people you don't? Let them go.
~ The people you love but who don't love you back? Let them go, too.
~ Remember that you deserve the best from Life and those in your life.
~ Remember that you owe Life, others, and yourself the very best of you.
~ Be kind to yourself. Forgive yourself for your shortcomings.
~ Forgive others. Don't hold on to hurt and anger and grudges and regrets.
~ Take care of yourself, body and spirit, and be here for as long as possible - whole, healthy, and happy as possible!

Life is like an hourglass, glued to the table, and no one can find the rewind button...

Live so you don't need one, my friends.

Much, much love, Diane... XOXO

Ouch...

So, one of the reasons I’ve been gone from Blogland is that I met someone… someone pretty terrific… someone with whom I clicked and with whom there was chemistry and about whom I wanted to know more and more and more.

And?

It was mutual (much to my shock and surprise)! And after a few weeks, I stopped looking for red flags… I relaxed a bit… I stopped waiting for the other shoe to drop.

And then?

The other shoe dropped. And it all fell apart.

And now?

My heart hurts.



He’s sorry and I appreciate that. I do. And I wish I didn’t still like him… but I do. But I don’t want to be his friend because then I’ll just wish it was different and wonder why it wasn’t me he chose. And I’ve been down that road before and it’s just too hard.

And I feel like I’m back in middle school.

This sucks.