Abstractly, we all know that our days on this earth are limited. But it can be very easy to allow the “details” of our world to clutter up our day and our thoughts. But this past week, I was reminded in a rather abrupt manner, that life is short and tomorrow is not promised to any of us. The sudden loss of a neighbor stopped me in my tracks as it did many of the folks on our street.
If you live in a large city or even the suburbs, this might not make much sense as neighbors are just the people that we see in passing each morning and evening when we come and go from our homes. But my family was very fortunate when we moved to Arizona. We purchased a lot and built a home in a new community, so all of our neighbors were “new” to the street at roughly the same time. And as such, we all invested some time in getting to know one another and making friends.
Our court was known to shut down the street several times a year for block parties and holidays. New Year’s Eve was a big event from the very first year. And our second big function just happened to be Cinco De Mayo the following year. Every family joined in, from the oldest couple on the street who were actually empty nesters, to the youngest couple who were newly married. Children ranging from the youngest at about three years old to the oldest at 12, all played together and looked out for one another. It was a truly perfect place to be living and raising our families.
That was 17 years ago, and all of the children have grown up and moved away as have some of their parents. But we still have a small group of the originals left. Each Christmas, we still deliver cookies to each house, and we still stop and chat when we are getting the mail or see each other walking in the neighborhood. So when Patti, of our first empty nester family, passed away suddenly last Tuesday, it came as a shock. I had just seen her the week before and she was as active as ever. But tomorrow is not promised…
It was an odd fate that her celebration of life gathering was on 5/5 this year, Cinco De Mayo. We reflected on how different the gathering was from our first gathering on that same date nearly two decades ago. And we reflected on all of the ways that Patti had touched our lives and brought happiness to all who knew her. She was the perfect grandmotherly type who would hug everyone and always had a smile on her face. She was a proud New Yorker, who never met a stranger, and she was one of the most loving and giving people you could ever meet.
I will always remember all of those traits and I will remember how moved her husband of nearly 30 years was to hear about how much each guest loved Patti. He said that it was like getting to set a completely new side of his wife. And that he now had even more happy memories of the wonderful lady who had shared his life. Paul reminded us all that life is a gift and so is the love that we share with those who are important in our lives. And like the flowers in the garden, that loved needs to be tended to and nurtured every day. Tell the people you love just how important they are to you. Do the things in life that bring you pleasure and happiness and pack as much into each day as you can so that on that last day, you have no regrets, just happy memories.
Patti will certainly be missed by all who were fortunate enough to know her, but once again, she and her family touched us all with their reminder that we must live like today is our last day, share the love in our hearts and lay our heads down each night with no regrets. Thank you, Patti, for your love, kindness, and friendship. May you rest in peace knowing that you left this world a little better than you found it and that your love touched us all.
Patti has left a beautiful legacy for her friends in the happy memories you shared with her. It is sad to lose friends, and especially when it happens unexpectedly. It was so nice that you could all bless her husband by sharing these memories with him. God bless you.