Katie,we hardly knew ye

Nine years ago... just about this time, I was at work at Barnes & Noble. Back then we were not allowed to carry our cell phones on the sales floor. My niece Katie was desperately ill in an Indianapolis hospital so I went to my boss Tara and asked if I could carry my phone. I didn't have the phone in my pocket two minutes when it rang and I did not want to answer it. I knew who it was going to be, and I knew why it was ringing.

Jumping nine years after that dark day, our family remembers Katie with fondness and love. She was a funny, smart, lively, life-loving young 20 year-old. We thought her life was ahead of her but it was not to be. 

This morning, I offered my well wishes to my brother Bryan, sister-in-law Dawn and to Katie's three siblings Britanny, Levi, and Tonya.

Earlier this week, was the 35th anniversary of my Dad's passing. These two events have shaped the way our family looks at the uncertainty of life. My brother Bryan still comments "A father should not outlive a child." Dawn has told me she thinks of her daughter every single day, as do we all. I feel her pain,  I think of my Dad all the time.

My friend Tom has often said to be sure to let your loved ones know how you feel about them, for with tomorrow there are no guarantees. So I say, give your friends and loved ones a kiss and a hug (when we can get together again), take pictures of your times together AND tell them those words we all too often find hard to say.

Katie, I love you.