Celebrating what you have

The next book in my Kindle queue is Dreams from my Father, because I've always wanted to read Obama's writing. I'm just past reading the preface that he wrote prior to the release of the 2004 edition, a decade after he first wrote and published the book.

In his book, he supposedly focuses a lot on his father, who was not a part of his life and absent during much of it. His mother, who raised him, doesn't feature as much in the book, and passed away shortly after the publication of the book (first pub.). I quote from the preface:

"I think sometimes that had I known she would not survive her illness, I might have write a different book - less a meditation on the absent parent, more a celebration of the one who was the single constant in my life."

In the expanded circle of people in my life, five have died suddenly this year - a photographer, a dog trainer, a friend, a classmate of Ro's and an ex co-worker. Among the people I know, there have been losses of parents and pets. Reading Obama's words in the preface reminded me that through it all, the best we can do is celebrate the people who are there, who are alive, who are waiting to be loved and recognized, because we often never know when we'll lose the chance to do so.

As we like to say in my chat group - go give your dog a hug today.