Prepare for this to be sad. I just had to share it. My heart is so full.

Two friends passed away within the last week. The services for them will be held this weekend. I want to tell you about them.

A close friend’s (she is really my chosen sister) niece passed away last week at much too young of an age. How young is too young? I am not sure that I know, but Julie Tran was much too young to die. I have known her all of her life, although I did not see her often. I will always treasure a visit with Julie last year at her Aunt Judy’s when she asked me to be a Facebook friend. Julie was only fifty-three years of age when she died.  She leaves a grieving and loving family; a husband, two adult daughters, three siblings, and parents, as well as extended family. Julie’s cause of death was an asthma attack which precipitated a cardiac arrest.

Other than her asthma, Julie was healthy. She did not smoke or drink alcohol and was very careful about what she ate. You know that it is said that we are not supposed to outlast our children. Julie’s parents are experiencing just that. Her entire biological and church families are in shock. From the many comments on social media about Julie you have a profile of one who was loved and is being honored with heartfelt expressions of grief.

Dr. Frieda Meachum, a close friend many years ago, passed away on Easter Sunday at the age of seventy-five. Frieda, Judy (mentioned above,) and I were inseparable when our children were small. I have not seen Frieda for many years, but I will always treasure the friendship we shared for that season of our lives.   

When I think of Frieda’s passing, I think how young seventy-five is. My mind takes me right back to our times together in the mid-to-late 70’s. I still use the strawberry-painted set of tools she made for me. Frieda leaves behind a daughter Emily, her husband Anthony, and a brother Philip, as well as other family members. She also leaves a legacy of leadership and service at the Alabama Institute for the Deaf and Blind where she served for forty-three years. Her legacy lives on in her children and grandchildren as well as in those her life touched in so many ways.

What is the message in the passing of loved ones? The first lesson is how very short life is, whether we pass at fifty-three, seventy-five, or older. So many days we go through the motions of taking care of our various duties, sometimes not spending enough time with our loved ones. Then one day there is no more time.

Another lesson is that while we will all leave a legacy, what kind of legacy will it be? Will we be remembered for our acts of loving kindness, or for less positive qualities? If you are reading this, and for me who’s writing it, there is still time. At some point, time will run out.

I hope that you will read this as more than a sad message about the passing of loved ones, although I do hope it honors the lives of Julie and Frieda.  I hope it is also a wake-up call for those of us who still have time. Time to spend with those we love. Time to serve in the ways we are able.

Time to live.