Last night I found out one of my good friends and her honey were hit by a car. They were rushed to the hospital. He didn’t make it.

Deep sadness quickly set in and I didn’t want to write this today.

I wanted to curl up in a ball on the floor and rush to the hospital to see her all at the same time. Until I remembered a book by Thich Nhat Hanh called No Mud, No Lotus.

In it he explains that the secret to happiness is to acknowledge and transform suffering, not to run away from it. And I so wanted to run away from this.

But, I won’t.

I won’t do that to you. I won’t do that to my friend. And I won’t do that to myself.

Instead, I’m going to do the only thing that can transform pain: love…

I’m going to soak up every second I can with everyone I love. I’m going to hug them 10 seconds, 20 seconds, 3 minutes longer. I’m going to stare into their eyes a little deeper. Listen to them a little more closely. Reach out a helping hand more often. Email them even though I don’t want to because it hurts so much. And most of all, I’m going to tell them…

I Love You.

Every moment with the people you love is more precious than all diamonds at Tiffany’s and we never really understand it until they’re no longer here with us. So, please…

For the happiness. For the sadness. For the lotus and the mud….

Today say “I Love You” to every person you would miss, if they were taken from you.

Because you don’t have to wait until it’s raining to appreciate the sunshine.

I Love You.

Until then… stay passionate!