Cloudy Days

The past few weeks have been a bit cloudy in my world.  Yesterday, we had a funeral for Jon's Uncle Bill.  It was a beautiful ceremony and such an awesome tribute to Bill.  We enjoyed retelling stories about Bill and learning of new stories of Bill.  He was a neat guy and one that will be missed by all of us but especially his family and wife Pat. 
Last week, a very close friend of mine, Carol, passed away.  Carol was my second mother growing up as she was my daycare lady.  My brother Tony and I spent many hours, days, and sometimes weeks living at Carol's house with her family.  It was a shock to learn of Carol's illness and then a few days later her passing.  I was able to attend the visitation for Carol and it was neat to see some of her family again and tell stories and learn new stories about growing up in "Carol's" family.  I will miss Carol very much, but her husband Roger of 52 years will miss her the most. 
Both Carol and Bill were 71 years old.  In my book that feels "young" to pass on.  Both of these incidents along with news of another terminally ill "friend" from my childhood have been clouding up my days.  It is such a great reminder of how precious life truly is.  I find comfort in thinking of both Carol and Bill having relief from their illness and finally being free from their pain.  Thinking about this may bring some sunshine into my world.  For now, I will hug Jon and my kiddos and try and remember that *EVERYDAY* is a gift and we should be grateful for all we have and find joy in the simple and small things in life.