It's been a pensive week.  My close friend's mother passed and we attended her funeral yesterday.  Much like my mother, she had her ailments but was relatively well. It wasn't 100% abrupt, but her illness was brief (a blessing).

After returning from that funeral I learned another friend's husband passed away last night.  She had just retired earlier this year.  They weren't old enough to be leaving one another yet.

My heart hurts for them all so much.  My own birthday came and went without too much gnashing of teeth, but I would be lying if I didn't reflect and simply say momento mori.