friends of the family

Last week there were a number of things that happened that made me think about how precious life is. Who we choose to spend it with and how we are all connected in ways that sometimes blow my mind are all pretty amazing.

For decades, the Wyatt's have been in my life. They were always a huge part of my summer vacations and time in college. I am treated like I am one of them and although I don't get to see them as much as I used to, I love knowing that whenever we do get together it is just like picking up where we left off.

I found out that Steve's parents died within two days of each other. I realize that this is a blessing - they had been together for 63 + years and it would have been incredibly hard for the one to survive without the other. Not only that, but his dad had just been diagnosed with cancer and was getting ready to go through chemo and he did not have to undergo this treatment because he went naturally just days before his wife. The hardest part is the grief of the family - I cannot imagine losing two people that mean so much to me so close in time. My heart went out to them. I kept thinking back to Bobbie's funeral this summer when Steve was introducing me to his brother and said: "this is Kelly, she is a really close friend of the family. But she is more like family." And that is just how I feel about them.

And so Thursday, I set out with my camera, my zagat guide and my check card to St. Michaels - somewhere I have never been before but always wanted to go. I spent the afternoon wandering around, taking photos, eating oysters, sampling wine at local winery and relishing in the gorgeous spring-like day. I spent the evening in Easton with the Keefe's and we had a great time catching up before I headed down to Salisbury for the service the next morning. I saw Dana and Lynn as soon as I entered the church. I was so glad that I was able to be there and instantly felt at home as soon as I was with them. I hope that the family finds strength in this difficult time. Grief was described as an ocean where the waves continue to crash and every so often, one can knock you over.

She said she usually cried at least once each day not because she was sad, but because the world was so beautiful & life was so short.