I saw her last week. Her beautiful blue eyes were still sparkling. She trembled, took my hands and touched my hair. She told me I looked beautiful. I held back tears, wore my best smile and told her she looked as beautiful as I remember her. I hugged her not wanting to admit but knowing that it may be the last time. She blew me a kiss and walked away, tall gorgeous but fragile. I stayed behind speechless, and asked repeatedly why her.

She has always been the picture of health, making a conscious effort to live a healthy lifestyle. Exercise was part of her every day life. She is beautiful, her amazing soul makes her even more dazzling. She has one of the biggest and most giving hearts. When the doctors diagnosed her with cancer, it was a complete shock for everybody that knows her. Cancer came to her life as a thief with no warnings, to steal her more precious gift. She taught me so many things through all these years. Every morning at my coffee shop, I waited to see her. The brief moments I shared with her while making her latte were a highlight in my day. She was always happy, even now she still smiles. I looked up to her. What a beautiful woman!

Today her husband told me that the news were not good. The last results have come back showing that the cancer was back and unfortunately, they could not do anything else. I tried to make sense of this whole thing. There is so many people out there that take life for granted, so many that poison their bodies every day with drugs and alcohol, so many that have little respect for their lives as well as for everybody else’s … not her.

I know that we as human beings cannot see the full picture. I believe there is a purpose for everything and everything happens as it is supposed to. I am not going to second guess or ask why anymore, but there is a lesson to learn from this: Life is the most precious gift we have and it is up to us to make every minute count. Treat life as a present, enjoy every second you are given because it can be taken away at any time.

My dear friend, you are in my heart and in my prayers.