Life is Too Short

Life is too short to understand the profound meaning of death.
Every breath is a gift, every breath forgotten as we move through
our lives not realizing what it's really like to be alive.

I'm sure some days the pressure of your daily grind builds
from day to day. You wonder why some days are just
too much. You forget what really is important.

The passing of Cheryl's sister Natalie was a lot for us as
a family to handle. Natalie was diagnosed a while back with
CHF (congestive heart failure) /enlarged heart.
Cheryl and I were concerned for her health, with her running a
retail store by herself and we encouraged her to come work
for us at the bakery.

As all hard working determined folks we all I try to be, Natalie
pursued her dream of owning her boutique and overcoming her
diagnosis. Natalie was strong, loving, giving, creative, spiritual,
smart, stubborn, a storyteller, hardworking, determined,
understanding, forgiving, vulnerable, sweet.

It's hard to comprehend the concept of death. How in
an instance can you see someone the night before and the next
day gone.

Cheryl and I were listening to NPR and Nora Ephron was taking
about her new book "I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other
Thoughts on Being a Woman". She talked about how we
cheat ourselves everyday and not take the opportunity
to make our own lives special.

Pour some extra bath oil in the tub, or indulge yourself
with two desserts instead of worrying about how much you
spent on dinner...."have some bread with butter for gods sake"
Live life now and take notice of every small thing that comes
to you.

Cheryl and Natalie were close. I always kidded when we went
to dinner. Cheryl would order and Natalie would order the
same thing. I called them Pete and Re-Pete.
When they talked together they finished each others sentences.
Stories would bounce back and forth between the two of them,
details highlighted, memories lived once again.

Cheryl is the strongest person I know, but I know a part of her
is gone, but she will be stronger and more determined to
carry on her sister's dream to succeed.

Natalie will be missed. Her friends and customers will always
remember her smile and her passionate kindness.