Finality

I have been putting off writing this blog post all week. And you will soon understand why.

Last Saturday, Jake had day camp for cub scouts. He got to spend the entire day doing various activities with local packs and it was no surprise that he had a blast.

Meanwhile, Jadyn had her best friend Riley over to spend the night. We kind of somewhat celebrated Jadyn's birthday a full 2 weeks early because Riley was getting ready to move. Because her dad is in the Army and living in an area heavily populated with military, we knew this day was coming but I had hoped their good-byes wouldn't occur until school got out for summer. At any rate, there were a lot of giggles and yes, some tears. Jadyn and Riley have been best friends since the spring they were both 4, when they met during their brothers' baseball season. They have been very close ever since.

To help the transition, I had them make each other BFF charm bracelets and Riley gave Jadyn a Webkinz bunny so they could play with their animals online together. It was very bittersweet.






Deep breathe.

But the real shock came for us early Saturday night when we received a phone call from Joe's dad to give us the extremely sad news that his cousin Patrick had passed away from a heart attack. He was in his late 50's, took great care of himself and had no health concerns that anyone was aware of. Furthermore, he was in the Marshall Islands on business when he passed away, which has made funeral arrangements complicated. Both Joe and his dad Bob were very fond of and close to Patrick. He had a very kind heart and the banter between Bob and Patrick could keep a room entertained for hours. My heart goes out to his wife Rose, his father Felix, his sister Georgia and everyone who knew and loved him. He will be deeply missed.

Pictured here at a family reunion several years ago, from left to right Georgia (his sister), Rose (his wife), Patrick, the younger cousin Patrick and Uncle Felix (his dad):



It is a very somber reminder to live every day to the fullest because you never know when it may be your last.