Bloom where you’re planted

I just learned today that my accountant Bob has died. I knew he was sick but I didn’t know that it was life-threatening. He was my age. He leaves behind a wife and three adult children. I also have three adult children and a loving boyfriend (and a former spouse). We both run – or did run – our own businesses. There were lots of similarities.

Photo by Liz Cezat, Mt. Ranier wildflowers.

Bob always had a smile and encouragement for me and my business through its ups and downs. He thought small business was pretty cool. I would get discouraged easier than he did when times got tough. I’m persistent and hard-working but am also impatient and, at times, pessimistic.

His passing makes me realize how fleeting life is. How we don’t know for sure how much time we really have. Although I think that I will live well into my 90s, I have no crystal ball to tell me if this is true.

The past few years – with a fragile economy – have been hard on my business. I fear that the craft that I love – interviewing, writing, sharing stories, informing audiences, and producing publications and marketing materials – is no longer valued. That’s also a death.

In the midst of death, it’s doubly important to make the most of life. I’ve been guilty of wishing that I was somewhere else doing something else. The desire to thrive is all encompassing. Bob’s death does motivate me to flourish once again with a new focus.

For starters, I will try to live with more optimism and gratitude. Life is only lived once; days wasted on despair don’t come back as a do-over. Whether it’s a long life or a shorter life … I want to make the most of each and every day. 

Most of you who read this don't know Bob, but you probably do know someone whose life ended much too soon. It is these individuals  - ordinary yet extraordinary - who have such an impact on us. Their passing often is a "wake-up call" for us to pay more attention to how we live our lives.

God bless you Bob. May you rest in peace, knowing that you have inspired me and others through your kindness, your commitment to your loving family, and your work ethic. Bob’s world – his sphere of family, friends, community and business - won’t be the same without him and that is a profound loss.