Bloggers Block, Bad stuff and Bravery

I've been a bit light on posting lately...not intentionally, I just haven't had much to say, or to share. Truth be told, a few crappy things have happened lately, and that is partly to blame for my absence. My Grandmother passed away a few weeks ago, and I rushed back home to attend her funeral and spend time with my family. She was an incredible woman and greatly influenced my life. I'm sure I wouldn't be where I am today if it weren't for her. Its been a really surreal few weeks post-Australia, and while I'm glad I got to see my family twice this year, it wasn't really a trip back that I wanted to make. I think I am still in shock and it will really only start to sink in the next time I take a trip home and she's not there. And its quite likely that next trip will be for my little sisters wedding, which will make it that little bit harder. I have to say though, despite her 84 years, and the general "oh, well (she wasn't young...)" reaction I get when I pass on my news, my Grandmother had a lot left in her. She was young. And she was active, fit and healthy, and her partner was 15 years younger than her. No, that was not a typo. 15 years younger. They danced every week up until a little while ago and she was really with it and vibrant. I'm so glad I saw her only a few months ago, but I still can't help feeling cheated. You know? And so I've felt that part of my childhood has now disappeared, and I'm that little bit older - not necessarily wiser, but definitely at a different stage in life.

And then today, I found out that an old acquaintance passed away. At 37. Of Lung Cancer. He wasn't a close friend, but he was a friend of good friends who were in a band together, and he was partially responsible for producing the soundtrack to my youth. So now, only weeks after feeling like my childhood was stolen, I now feel like my late teens and early 20's are somehow tainted or significantly further away somehow.

So, I guess this post is about life. And how short it is. And sometimes its not short, but it can still feel like its cut shorter than it should have been. So for all of us that are still here, we need to make sure that we are doing what we want to be doing, and that we're happy - and sometimes you need to be brave to get out of the rut you might be in. Because you just never know. And I guess we should all be living life like we only have one day left. I know that I'm not. But after today, I'm sure gonna.