Well this past week was a good reminder that life can change at any given moment and to be thankful for every day. Just over a week ago I found out that a friend of mine’s 18-month-old baby suddenly passed away. The news hit me hard. Maybe it was because of all the memories my friend and I have had together over the years, or maybe it was because I am a mom myself. Probably a mixture of both. Anyway, I just couldn’t stop thinking about her and her family, and how their world had been shattered. Everyone wanted to do something, but with grief on that level – what can you really do? The only thing I knew to do was hop on a plane and be there, with many hugs, at the service. I booked a last minute flight and, 12 hours later, I was on a plane headed to Washington D.C.

Working in the funeral profession has taught me a lot, but one of the things that stands out the most is to go to the funeral when you can, and this NPR story captures that message perfectly. Now I certainly had special circumstances that allowed me to travel over 1,000 miles away – Plenty of frequent flier miles to cover my airfare, time off work to spare, a husband’s flexible schedule so I didn’t have to think twice about Iris’ needs, and a knowledge of the city since I used to live there.

While it was a sad and emotional whirlwind of a trip, it was also so beautiful to see so many people remember such a sweet little soul. And as soon as I delivered my first of several hugs, I knew I was right where I was supposed to be.