In societies eyes

My mind has been spinning from the events of this weekend. I have experienced two deaths, one of an acquaintance and the other a famous basketball star. While neither are significant losses to my personal life, they have caused me to stop and reflect.

On Friday while enjoying my weekly lunch with my dad, we were interrupted by loud emergency sirens. Since our own experiences with ambulances and firemen, it's always regular practice for us to check the local live incident report to see what is going on. We were not far from where my dad lived so he was concerned it could have been one of his neighbors. Sure enough the report took us right to my parent's neighborhood. We quickly finished our meals and went back to see what was happening. Apparently overnight, a neighbor of my parents passed in her sleep.

This wasn't just "a neighbor" it was Sally. Sally was rough around the edges, loud, outspoken but kindhearted at the same time. As regular visitors of the neighborhood we had encountered Sally on many occasions. She sat perched on her stoop everyday smoking a cigarette, keeping a watchful eye on her little village. She was a fierce protector of what she loved. From what I knew of Sally, she lived a rough life, never married and had one son. She lived a simple life but was happy. Her small one bedroom apartment was everything she needed. And she took great pride in it.

Every time we would get out of the car, she was quick to call out to us and say Hello. She always went out of her way to tell Cali how beautiful she was and she loved Izzy, our dog. She would regularly remind us how lucky we were to have such great parents, Danny and Sharon. My dad said every time he or my mom would walk outside she would NEVER miss the opportunity to express her love to them, "Love you Danny, Love you Sharon." If this tiny village had a mayor, it sure would have been Sally.

In the eyes of society, Sally offered very little to the world. She had little resources, she couldn't work or even drive. But in her little community she meant the world to so many. No matter how small or alone you feel, someone will always miss you when you're gone. You might not be famous or rich but I promise, you are important to someone.

Now that Sally is gone I wished I would have told her how much I appreciated her daily greetings and kind words. I wonder if she knew how important she was? This has reminded me how significant it is to express your feelings to others while they're still here. It might feel awkward or out of place for you but that could be the last words a person hears. Everyone should know how important they are to you.

Rest in peace Sally