Sad Times :(

On Thursday, 7/23, it will be a year since my Aunt Shirley passed away... I still love and miss her. And I wish that my cousins and I talked more... Life gets hectic, crazy busy, and we just fall out of touch. But I think I need to make more of an effort to pick up the phone and maybe that would help us reconnect a bit...

On Wednesday, 7/29, it will be a year since Phillip, Shyla, and Haylie Van Alstine passed away. I think of them often. Shyla was an English teacher at VHS, but she was so much more to so many... She had a smile that could light up a room. I just wish I had gotten the chance to know her better....

The older I get, when someone I care about passes away, it seems they are taken way too early... Aunt Shirley was 62 when she died and I still think she was too young.... Phillip, Shyla, and Haylie were definitely too young.... While we are here on this earth, we will never understand why. All I know to do is to honor the memory of each of our loved ones as I go about living the rest of my days... however many or few in number those days may be.

To my Aunt Shirley, and to Phillip, Shyla, and Haylie:

As we mark the one-year "anniversary" (and I HATE calling it that) of your passing, please know that we honor the life that each of you lived. Each of you made an indelible mark on this world during your time here. We thank you for that. We love and miss you and will ALWAYS remember you!

indelible:
1. > that cannot be removed, washed away, or erased
> making marks that cannot be easily removed (an indelible pencil)
2. > LASTING (indelible memories)
> UNFORGETTABLE, MEMORABLE (an indelible performance)