Day 352: Life can change in an instant

One of my friends, Sunshine, was shocked with some horrible news this week.

Her brother was diagnosed with cancer a few days ago. When she told me today my heart sank and I went right back to where I was 3 years ago when Mr. Wonderful was diagnosed.

While I don't know what she is feeling, because everyone is different, I have a good idea.

Sunshine has great faith, and it has kept her going this past year after being laid off from the company she had worked at for 12 years. I believe it will get her through this as well.

But today she wanted a distraction to get her mind off of it everything, so we met a group of friends to watch the basketball game.

During the game I kept checking on her because I wanted to make sure she was ok, and it was a little strange to look at her.

She was there and the game was a distraction, but from the blank stare on her face, to the vacancy in her eyes I could tell her mind was elsewhere.

It was like stepping back in time 3 years and seeing myself.

I remember feeling that way, and knowing I wasn't fully engaged, being there in body but my mind was somewhere else. Wanting to be out with people, but once I was there I wanted to be somewhere else. I wanted to escape my body and my mind, but there was no where I could go.

Like the rest of us, Sunshine is no stranger to tragedy or grief, but when it hits this close to home I believe it is a little different.

Her life and her outlook will forever be changed, for better or for worse, that is up to the person experiencing it.

One thing that keeps running through my mind because of my experience is that anyone's life can change in an instant.

I don't mean in a bad way, although that can happen too, your life can change in an instant in a good way too.

You never know when that one person you have a brief encounter with will be the one you end up marrying, or when a fantastic job opportunity will fall into your lap.

I believe that's why you must love and appreciate every moment of your life no matter what you're going through, because tomorrow is a new day.

I am single right now, and I hope to eventually find another Mr. Wonderful but in the meantime I'm going to embrace this time.

Because when I'm attached I'm sure I'll have a few days when I won't want to answer to anyone, much like my married friends. Sometimes they live vicariously through me and my lack of responsibilities and my fun dating stories, while I sometimes long for what they have living vicariously through them and their families.

The bottom line is to love and embrace where you are in your life, no matter how good or bad it is, because in this journey it is where you are meant to be.