How quickly life can change

I'm reminded today of how quickly life can change. Just one year ago (it was actually January 23, but I'll always remember it as a Friday) my sister, her daughter Natalie, and I were in a hospital waiting room in Madison while my Mom was having what was supposed to be a routine hysterectomy. Our lives were forever changed when the surgeon came out of surgery to tell us that they had found cancer. He said it was quite advanced, and that he was totally shocked to have found it. We learned later that week (after pathology tests) that it was a rare and aggressive cancer called leiomyosarcoma-- and that there was a chance it would not respond to treatment. He was right. It didn't respond to treatment (although she went through 6 weeks of radiation), and the cancer took my Mom's life just 6 months later. Now, almost a year to the day that we first heard the word leiomyosarcoma, we hear about it again. My sister's 10-year old black lab was just diagnosed with a form of leiomyosarcoma after having a tumor removed from her intestines. My Mom always taught us to enjoy all the simple joys in life. She lived every day of her life that way. At the risk of sounding too cliche, there are a few other things I learned over the last year. Enjoy every day of your life. Cherish the time you have with those you love. Don't sweat the small stuff. Try to find the good in all situations. Life is precious.