Life is short

My old roommate's father just passed away and it has kind of changed my outlook on things a little. He's a good friend, and we had a 45-minute phone conversation about everything yesterday. I purposely tried to bring up other things to take his mind off it and he seems to be doing surprisingly well--"one day at a time" as he put it. The wake/funeral is this Sunday/Monday, and I hope to be able to go.

That news--combined with finding out my step-grandma has lung cancer and the book I've been reading--just makes you think and helps put things in perspective. One of my favorite professors--and people in general--taught me that life is really all about relationships. When we leave this place, people will remember not what we did and how much we made, but how we treated people and the way we lived life. One of the main themes of The Purpose Driven Life is finding meaning in our lives and cherishing every day. I don't claim to be some omnipotent, wise preacher because I'm not, but this stuff is true and we could all learn from it.

But beyond the tragic events like death, injuries, illness, etc., life is full of minor problems that we can either stress and worry about, or conquer and move on from. I think the saying is "You never know today what tomorrow will bring"--so I try to look past the petty differences and keep a closer eye on the bigger picture. As I've found out lately, and without my own doing, the most important things can change VERY quickly whether you want them to or not. Just my 2 cents, take it or leave it...