today was...

interesting, nerve wracking, slightly painful, expensive, purposeful, restful, chilly, scrumptious, tragic, sad, a reminder that life--every inhale and every exhale--and those we care for and love--from co-workers we interact with on a daily basis to the family and friends who define large parts of who we are--are precious and so very fragile.

allow me to elaborate.
today i had to get up early to go to the Health Department in the county over from mine to get vaccinations in preparation for my trip to Honduras in January. that's right folks, Honduras. a co-worker and i will be taking a group of 11 students to do volunteer work at an orphanage for a week between our fall and spring semesters. now, i'm not a big fan of needles, but i can generally calm my self down and, as the nurse was particularly calm, i did well with the shots i got. though, the first one, i could feel the liquid move into and through my arm and it eventually led to a very stiff sore shoulder for the remainder of the day. still, $145 is a small price to pay to ensure that i am vaccinated against Hep. A and Typhoid fever.

then i had meetings i had to be back at work for from 10:30-3 and then i was done for the day. so i took a nap, because going to bed at 3am because you can't fall asleep and getting up at 7:30am to drive to get shots, then 4 1/2 hours of meetings = tired me!

then i went to the grocery store with a friend and baked cookies which was a good time. we are doing a cookie exchange at work tomorrow. christmas sugar cookies, that's all i'm going to say.

then the tragic, sad, everything else part happened.

on my way out to get some time away (i live/work at a "boarding" high school), i found out that a co-worker's dad had just passed away unexpectedly, most likely from a heart attack. my dad had a massive heart attack a year ago January and barely made it through. this co-worker just got engaged...it's a week before christmas, and now, her dad is gone. i can't even imagine...
it brought a lot of emotions and memories rushing back from when my dad had his heart attack and they just kept replaying over and over in my head throughout the rest of the evening.
i was working when my sister called me. at first, i was in shock and then... i just freaked out and started balling uncontrollably. i called two of my good friends and they came to help me get calmed down, packed, and ready to go home to be with my family...
i remember getting into my apartment and just falling to the floor, crying uncontrollably, my friends at my sides. in that moment, i didn't know if my dad would still be alive by the time i got home. i was so incredibly scared.
i was beside myself.
even now, just thinking about that moment makes me queasy.

my family and i were lucky, we got a second chance. it's not fair that her family has to go through this right now, in the midst of the holidays.

it's a great big dose of perspective, you know?