Yesterday was an incredibly hard and heavy day — and what a beautiful privilege it was to be part of it.
While I was working overnight, I got the message that a dear friend of mine had passed away. A man who literally gave his life to everybody else. He cared so deeply for everyone around him, except himself. He just kept giving and giving — love, time, energy, laughter — until his tank was empty.
And then, only hours later, I found myself sitting in a celebration of life for another man. I didn’t know him very well, but I know his son. And, I went to be a support for him — and what a gift that family gave all of us. Truly, what a gift.
That’s all I could think while I sat there, watching people hug, share stories, laugh, grab a drink, and cheers to a life that meant something. What an honor it is to be celebrated that way. There was no phoniness, no pretending. Just real people, real love, and real grief. Cellphone free, if I may point out, because who takes selfish at a funeral? It was so refreshing.
And then someone said something along the lines of— sometimes it feels like in adulthood, we don’t really see each other anymore unless it’s at funerals or weddings. And sadly, it’s kind of true. Yesterday was a funeral, yes, but I saw so many faces I haven’t seen in years. And I watched others reconnect too — people hugging, laughing, catching up, remembering. And I couldn’t help but think… we need to stop waiting. We need to stop waiting for the funerals, weddings and socials to be the reason we see each other again.
(Nudge,nudge...more Sunday dinners perhaps.)
And his wife — my God, what strength. She didn’t do the typical drawn-out story of someone’s life from beginning to end. Instead, she stood there and said, “I hate this. I hated every minute that he was sick, and I hate every minute now. I just hate this.
And I loved her for that. I was so grateful for her honesty. For not faking it. For saying what everyone else is usually too afraid to say.
But, then she said... but even with all that I am Grateful for all of it"
What a testament, to a beautiful partnership. One we should all inspire to have.
His daughter too — her words weren’t just fillers. They carried weight. They meant something. You could feel them. It was truly moving. What a privilege it was to witness that kind of love.
Life is just a book of different chapters after all, and what a privilege we have to be even in 1 chapter of someone else's book.
And maybe because of everything that happened — losing my friend, sitting in that room full of love and grief — it all just hit deeper.
We’re wasting our time.
We’re wasting our time worrying about the things that don’t matter.
We’re wasting our time glued to these damn phones, scrolling social media like it’s oxygen.
We’re wasting so much precious time that we could be spending with the ones we love.
We’re wasting time leaving things unsaid because we’re scared.
Just say the damn thing.
Just give the hug.
Just go for the visit.
Just love.
Love so unconditionally. Sprinkle it everywhere. Because that’s the stuff that matters.
Because in a blink, anybody can be gone. And life will forever be different.
I, for one, want to use up all the love I have inside me — every ounce of it. I want to give it away freely, while I can.
Yesterday reminded me of something big — we think we have so much time.
But we don’t.
Time is like an ice cube — once it melts, it’s gone.
The time with our families, our friends, the people we love — once it’s gone, it’s gone. We don’t get to scoop it back up. So I want to remember to pause more. To cherish the moments. Every single one.
We’re all so busy rushing around, paying bills, getting things done, climbing ladders, fixing what’s broken — and in the middle of all of it, we’re missing the point.
Time is precious. The people you love are what matter. The moments you share — that’s what life is.
So, to that beautiful family — my heart breaks for you as you learn to walk without your husband, your dad, your grandpa, your incredible friend.
But what a privilege it was to sit in that room yesterday. To even be on the outside of a man so deeply loved.
Oh, how beautiful.
Oh, how fragile.
Oh, how blessed we are to be alive.
Call someone you love today.
Tell them how much they mean to you.
Because what a privilege it is — to be alive and to love and to be loved back.
In the words of Winnie the Pooh "
"There will come a day when our laughter will only echo in someone's heart, when the stories we told will be remembered in gentle fragments, and when the love we shared will live on as a memory.
Pooh sat beneath the autumn tree, holding onto a picture, reminded that time moves swiftly, and moments slip quietly into yesterday.
But he also knew this: we have the gift of now-the
chance to be kind, to love without holding back, to speak gently, and to leave behind something worth cherishing.
Because in the end, it's not the grand things people remember, but the small ones-the warmth of a smile, the comfort of a hug, the way you made them feel safe when the world felt heavy.
One day, each of us will become a memory, and the truest gift we can give is to make sure we are remembered as someone who loved well, cared deeply, and left behind more light than shadows."
Love Ya, Stay Sweet and be a Light
Stephanie Christine