My own mortality reared its ugly head yesterday morning when I opened up our local paper to find that a guy I had gone to school with from the 7th grade til we graduated had passed away last Wednesday.  People my age shouldn't be dying.  There is the occasional accident that will take someone's life, but cancer, for some reason you never think that will hit close to your age.  You don't think of heart attacks, strokes, or cancer becoming a cause of death in your age group, at least I never did, not at my age.

We never really knew each other but always had a locker right next to each other because of our last names.  You know, the alphabetical way and all. 

He was the cute, popular jock whom everyone loved.  I was the chubby nerd who kept herself buried in a book as often as possible. 

I still remember the first day of 7th grade when all of us new "sevvies" were trying to get into our lockers.  His locker was right below mine.  I thought 'wow he is Cute'.  He said 'great, a chubbo'.  For the rest of junior high we weren't very nice to each other. 

The first day of high school showed a change in both of us.  I had lost some weight over the summer and he had grown much taller and filled out.  This time when opening up our new lockers he said hi to me and smiled at me.  I smiled back and said hi as I walked away.  A few days later he apologized for being so mean to me in junior high.  I told him I accepted his apology and let on that I made it way too easy to be the butt of everyone's jokes.  After that we never spoke much, just nodded and smiled as we passed each other at the lockers and in hallways.

I never really knew him.  I knew he was a jock and had turned out to be a pretty nice guy.  I knew that he died of Melanoma and he was married with 3 year old daughter and a 16 month old daughter.  He moved to Arizona sometime after graduation and became a train engineer.  One thing I remember about him is that he always had a sunburn. 

I cried for this guy I never really knew.  Part of what scared me is that he is my age.  I shouldn't see people my age in the obituary.  A parent shouldn't have to bury their child.  A baby and toddler should grow up with their father.  Life is never fair and his death certainly wasn't fair.

My thoughts and prayers go out to this family.

In the past year and a half my husband has had 2 spots of melanoma removed.  His diabetes was so out of whack that he was extremely close to a heart attack and a stroke.  My daughter also had to have 3 spots removed. 

I cherish my family but my classmates death has made me realize I need to live my life more.  I've always known this in the back of my mind but haven't really done that.  I will definitely hug my kids alot more every day, tell my family I love them more, and relax and try not to stress out so much.