A couple of thoughts due to circumstances that have occurred this week.

Death or reminders of death of friends and family.

It keeps life in perspective, because one day each of us will reach the end of our lives on this planet.

I urge you to cherish all the relationships.  Be vocal about it too.  Tell people that you appreciate them, even if you don’t have a super close relationship with them.  Set aside the differences and rise above the division.

My Dad died of cancer when I was 38.  We only had a few months warning.  3 years later my Mom passed away suddenly from a heart attack.  Lives change when death touches us.

Thursday evening, I got word that an old friend of mine, Chris was back in the hospital for another round of chemo.  I spoke with his wife and gave me his cell phone which I called and left him a message.

Friday at lunch I gathered with about 20 friends of a man named Bob who passed away about a year ago.  Someone suggested that we be sure to tell others while they are still alive all the things we were saying about Bob.  I have a friend Sheryl who makes a point of doing that as part of her weekly routine.  Each of us should do that.

Right before heading to bed Friday night, I saw a couple of posts on Facebook that my cousin Suzy had passed away from cancer a couple days ago.  Suzy was about 7 months younger than me and as little kids we saw each other a bit until my Uncle Bill and Aunt Maria moved to New Jersey where Suzy and her two younger sisters, Julie and Karla grew up.

Uncle Bill, Grandma Mary, Aunt Maria, my Mom (Alice) and Suzy & Scotty 1964

Uncle Bill, Grandma Mary, Aunt Maria, my Mom (Alice) and Suzy & Scotty 1964

Suzy left behind a husband Chris and two (adult) kids Dan and Ally.  In the picture below, we see Suzy on the far right along with her family. Sitting in front are my Aunt Maria and Uncle Bill and also in the picture is Julie and Karla with their husbands.

The Koenecke Clan from 2014

The Koenecke Clan from 2014

On my Dad’s side of the family, all of his siblings have passed away and there are a couple of cousins I stay in touch with via social media.  One of them, Brenda who is almost exactly a year younger than me has gone through her trials and tribulations with cancer too and is on the winning side.

Let me wrap this up simply with Cherish All The Relationships and Tell Them Too.