This is about being grateful.

This is the only picture I have of a friend I lost almost two years ago. November 29th. Her name was Rosemary. She was 51 years old. She had a warm heart, a kind spirit, and was one of those people who worked tirelessly building other people up and encouraging them. She was the mother of seven children, a homeschooler and a grandmother. She knew so much about children and life, and was always willing to offer advice or just to listen.

We were not close friends, but I liked her very much.
No matter how long it had been since we last saw one another, we merely continued the conversation we'd been having. She was funny and easy to get along with, but there was steel in her, too. Nobody was allowed to mess with her kids and get away with it.

She loved her family above all else. She had such pride in them, and was enjoying the homeschooling journey with the three youngest kids. She had a great time seeing where learning would lead them next, and making sure to provide what they needed for the trip.

From the time she was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer (she had never smoked) until her death was less than six months. She had a good attitude, and until near the end, believed that she was going to live and beat the cancer.

From Rosemary, I learned to pause every day and be grateful for what I have. There is no way to know whether we will be here tomorrow, and it's important to acknowledge the good things that are here today. If you've taken the time to visit my blog, I want you to do something for me. Stop and consider all that is good in your life. We have so much, and sometimes it's so easy to get caught up in the hustle and busy-ness and forget what's really important. She had a way of knowing what was real and relevant. She could see it so well.

I believe that as long as a person is remembered in one's heart, and shared as much as possible with others, that person is never completely gone. Her life was meaningful and a gift to many.

Now you know her a little bit, too.