death . . .

Last month 2 people that I know from work died unexpectedly. One was E. a sweet, short, round black woman who had the kindest spirit anyone can imagine. She became a checker at the store and she was a little worried about being slow and having a lot of questions, but the way she treated people from her bosses to the customers to the kids that were bagging for her made everyone fall in love with her. Even when she was in a great deal of pain with problems in her knees and hips, she never let her pain color her mood. She talked about her family with great fondness and she always made everyone feel like she thought they were just the greatest thing since sliced pie. She had been transferred from our store some time ago but when we heard about her passing it hit us all really hard, as if she had been among us that very day. I hope I leave just a smidgen of the kind of legacy of love that E. did.
I didn't know G., the other person that died very well but her death was felt pretty strongly in our workplace as well. She was younger than E.and very close in age to a lot of us. When someone of your own age dies suddenly, it hits you square in the chest. That could have been me. It really makes you stop and think that you really don't know what day will be your last. And am I doing the things that I would do if I knew I would be gone tomorrow? I'm not talking about the huge things--do I have the right job? Have I gone the places I want to go? Have I accomplished my goals? No, although it might make us re access those things, too. I'm just talking about how we treat each other. Have I told and showed my kids and my husband that I love them today? Have I acted in a loving manner? Have I been kind, forgiving, compassionate?