Life Lessons...

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Over the past week and a half, Bill and I have learned some of life's hardest lessons.

Two Saturdays ago, we lost a good friend. Jim, a dear friend and colleague of Bill's, was killed in a car accident in Indianapolis. He was with a wedding party on the way to the ceremony when the bus they were in ran a red light and was hit by an SUV.

If I said we were shocked, that would be an understatement. I haven't been able to fully comprehend the whole situation. Jim was probably one of the nicest, funniest, most genuine guys I've ever met. He always greeted everyone with a hug, and was always there for you when you needed him.

I think the hardest part for me to understand, is why would a 29 year old, a young father, a great friend, a person with so much more to do in his life, be taken away from those who loved him so soon. I know these are life lessons, but I just wish I could understand more of the reasoning behind why these sort of things happen.

I must say, that this has put a lot of what happens in life in perspective. The day before Jim's accident, we had a leak at our house. Our dinning room ceiling was dripping water from the tub upstairs. I was frantic, trying to figure out how we were going to pay for the repairs, what insurance would cover, and how we were going to live with a hole in our ceiling for a few weeks.

Water damage. Holes in ceiling. Messy houses. This is just life. I'd take 500 holes in my ceilings if it meant I was living life.

Life is short, and we never know when it can be taken from us. We need to be grateful for the time we have together, to let others know how much they mean to us, and to love as much as possible. Jim, especially, would want it that way.