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Yesterday friends and family gathered to say goodbye to Julie. It was an emotional day. The weather was lovely. The service was beautiful and her husband gave the most moving tribute to her — I was crying like a baby.

Looking around at Julie’s grave site, I saw many familiar faces — faces from high school and college. It is always sad that it takes a funeral to gather together all of the wonderful people in your life.

There are so many things I can take away from Julie’s far-too-early death. One is vigilance about cancer screening. Two is to live your life every day as if it is your last — that is not an easy one for me. I tend to linger and dawdle and waste time. For as long as I can remember, I’ve held up this poem as an admonition to myself. It’s hard though…

So here hath been dawning
Another blue day:
Think, wilt thou let it
Slip useless away?

Out of Eternity
This new day is born:
In to Eternity
At night will return.

Behold it aforetime
No eye ever did:
So soon it forever
From all eyes is hid.

Here hath been dawning
Another blue day:
Think, wilt thou let it
Slip useless away?

— Thomas Carlyle