Another Angel Gets Her Wings...

The cruelty of life is that it is so fleeting and can be ripped away in half a breath. Yet we don't appreciate it, and all too often, words go unsaid, emotions go unrequited, and life goes unfinished. While we mourn the loss of a life taken far too soon, we should also undoubtedly celebrate the life that was lived, and that person's procession on to the next phase of existence. Regardless of your beliefs, the end of a life on earth is never the true end of a life, only the turning of a page into the next chapter. So I choose not to weep and wallow in tears of loss and pain and suffering. No. I choose to celebrate that life, and I cling to the idea that your trials are over. You are no longer a prisoner of this world and its evils. You are free. You. Are. Free. And for that, I am thankful. No more pain, no more sorrows, no more tragedy can befall you. Those of us who remain on this earth will always miss you, and remember you, and you shall never be forgotten.

Aunt Angie, I know I was never the perfect niece, and for that I truly am sorry, but I want you to know I always have and always will love you. I have regrets now that I don't have the opportunity to tell you in person that you were important to me, but I hope that one day, I'll see you again, and that day I will tell you how you influenced me. We'll joke about tattoos and mistakes we've all made. But most importantly, I'll tell you that I love you, and I always have. 

Life is ripping apart my family at every angle. Every branch is weakened. For anyone and everyone who reads this, hug your husbands, wives, mothers, fathers, sisters, brothers, aunts, uncles, nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends. Hug everyone you have left in this world, because they could be gone in half a breath, and you'll lose the chance to tell them how you feel, how much they mean to you. Don't leave words unsaid, don't leave emotions unrequited, and never leave a life unfinished.

RIP Aunt Angie

February 17, 1965-December 12, 2012