Buried a fifty year old aunt and a twenty two year old nephew this week.
Nephew's dad says that any day you wake up and your kids are still breathing is a good day.
I think I've hugged my girls more this week than I ever have before in my life.
Lessons Learned:
1. (Aunt) Diabetics missing limbs from alcohol abuse shouldn't be allowed access to alcohol
2. (Nephew) Just because you wear a seat belt does not grant you immunity from car crashes, even if you are going the speed limit.
3. (Nephew) Anyone who has children should be required by law to have life insurance.
The nephew saddens me the most, he was just starting out with his young family (two boys, one three, and one two month old), a diesel mechanic, knew and hugged everyone around him (even the sketchy people), and was thinking seriously about following my footsteps into the Army. I even gave him the beret I wore at my retirement, which apparently he carried around everywhere...his other aunt and uncle are going through the wreck right now looking for it.
Moral: Live God. Love Family. Serve Community.
The only thing that matters is how you spend the dash between your birthday and the day you leave this world....
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Member of the toughest, meanest, deadliest, most unrelenting -- and ablest -- form of life in this section of space, a critter that can be killed but can't be tamed. --Robert A. Heinlein