life after

exactly how many years ago since our good friend abet joined our creator escapes me - was it five years already?  has it really been that long?  i remember how devastated everyone felt when he passed away so suddenly.  25 years young and he was gone.  i cannot imagine how my good friend arlene felt during that time - no words could describe it but it wasn't hard to feel how painful losing a love one, much less your supposed to be better half.  its just tragic.

fast forward to today and two weekends from now, i am going to attend arlene's wedding.  its truly a miracle that she finds love a second time around.  granted juan and i are always engaged in a verbal tussle and he could be really irritating sometimes, i am glad that he made her smile again.  arlene and i have been with the big blue for the past eleven years and we've become quite good friends.  i guess experience and maturity has its way of bringing people closer together.  add the fact that we both share sort of the same familial problems - and its always nice to talk to someone who can really understand what you are going through.

while driving last night, i came to the realization upon reading arlene's text message that there's life indeed after a tragedy.  what seemed insurmountable five years ago is now just a fading memory.  abet is long gone but his passing has taught me a great deal about what life is.  life is too short for regrets and disappointments - clearly there is no joy in that.  i don't try to live through other people's standards and nor do i care if some people don't like me for who i am.  i am me and they just have to take me as i am.

here's to you abet.  gone but not forgotten.

here's to you arlene.  i'm glad you are getting your happily ever after.