Two Months is Too Long...

It's been two months to the day, blog fans, since I've written a post. A lot of things have gone on in my life that has kept me in a writer's funk, of sorts. I moved in to a new apartment. I was finishing a play. I could make excuses for my absence, but something much bigger seized my hands from typing.

Truth is a dear friend of mine from Chicago passed away quite unexpectedly. What he meant to my world (and the worlds of my friends) words cannot express. He was the best friend to so many, the life of the party, the razor wit that kept all laughing. He had the voice of an angel. Truly, he has left a hole in my heart.

In times like this, you begin to put things in to perspective; your friendships, your obligations, your responsibilities to yourself and to others. You realize where your time is spent and how it's spent - with whom it's spent - and you begin to prioritize.

What is important? Who is important? All of those questions swirl around you in a fog.

So.

With death comes life. A new life. Something changed within the soul and psyche. Learning. Growing. Other such terms too cliche to list, but they are true and whole-heartedly felt. What have I learned?

• Say what you need to say when you need to say it.
• Remind everyone close to you how much they mean to you.
• Stop spending time with people out of obligation; either make quality time, or cut unneeded friendships.
• Take care of yourself - not just for yourself, but for those who love you.
• Give big, squishy hugs.

...because tomorrow you could get a call you never saw coming.

I leave you with a quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson:

To laugh often and much;

to win the respect of intelligent people

and the affection of children;

to earn the appreciation of honest critics

and endure the betrayal of false friends;

to appreciate beauty;

to find the best in others;

to leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child,

a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;

to know even one life has breathed easier because you lived.

This is to have succeeded.

I will miss you, my dear friend...