Do it.

I am going to start writing again.
I am going to start writing again.
I am going to start writing again.
I am going to start writing again.

I figure if I write it out a bunch of times, maybe I'll be more prone to follow through.  You know, like they made you do in school (well at least what they made Bart Simpson do in school)! I went to an author event at the library here and she said that writing was just part of her and I thought, I know exactly what you mean.  I miss writing.  I write emails for work, but that IS NOT the same.  At all.

I don't really know where to start, so I'm just going to start today with what is on my mind. 

It has been just over a month since the death of a friend.  And a month and half since the death of a good friend's sister.  In a way, I am waiting for another.  They say things come in threes...

But these deaths have made me think a little more about my life.  About what I'm doing and what's important. About friends, and calling them up and keeping in touch and making an effort to get together.

I've known Lori for nearly 14 years.  She was one of the first people I met when I started working at Ned Kelly's Steakhouse during college.  We weren't best friends or anything, but we hung out together.  Over the years, we haven't seen as much of each other, but with Facebook we've kept in touch.  When I bought my house, I found out her parents lived across the street.  I'd see her picking up the kids after work and we'd wave and sometimes meet in the middle to chat for a minute before she had to run off.  When I got my current job, I realized she worked just down the street and we agreed we should meet for lunch.  I think we did once. One of the guys we worked with at Ned's opened a deli near our jobs, so I had the intention of suggesting of meeting up there.

But that never happened.  I'd think of it too late or I had other plans and we never got together.  She had been on my "to do" list, but I kept pushing it down. 

And now I can never cross it off. 

To me, its a lesson to follow through.  Call your friends.  Set up lunch dates.  Make time. 

I am also reminded at how life is unpredictable.  No one saw this coming.  Both ladies lost their lives with no idea that it was coming.  So my take away from these tragedies is to make life worth it.  Do what you love.  Surround yourself with those you love.

So I'm going to write.  And I'm going to call my friends and family and make an effort to see them. 

You just never know.