I love you!

As children, we are always told not to take life for granted. As adults this is always in the back of our mind but we don't seem to understand the meaning behind the statement and take life for granted anyway. The older we become, the more we get knocked in life and the more this meaning starts to make sense. Taking things for granted seems to be a human instinct.. We expect that we are always going to be here. We expect when we kiss our kids good night, that the next day we'll get to say good morning. We expect that terrible things don't happen to us. The older we become the more people we know that have had terrible things happen to them, and we begin taking less things for granted in life, until we forget the immediate flood of emotions and start to slip all over again.

You hear the sayings often, don't go to bed or leave the house angry, don't forget to tell the people you love that you do love them, never turn a hug away. All these things we forget and all these things we take for granted..

For the past 6 months I have watched my friend go through one of life's hardest journeys.. Watching her child battle cancer. For me Cancer is a big fear.. I mean we all know we can get it, it's the first thing we think when we find a lump, or get a headache, It's something we've all lost someone to or know someone battling it, yet we still take life for granted. Unfortunately last week my friend and her daughter lost their fight. After a roller coaster that included what would have to be the worlds shortest remission, the beautiful Princess Annabelle lost her fight and slipped away. The night before, her mummy knew it was their last night.. Far sooner then any medical professional anticipated. That day in fact, Belle as she's affectionately known even had a party with her nearest and dearest. This terrible tragedy has rocked me more then I thought it would. I knew this would be a sad affair, but I never anticipated that it would change me. Taking life for granted is a privilege that a lot of us have, but when we are reminded in ways like the above, we MUST learn from the experience. I am taking life a lot less for granted now and know that my beautiful friend has the battle of her life still, to get up after such a hard knock. This woman amazes me! I just don't know where she draws her strength from, but she deserves a medal.

Princess Annabelle, thank you for being the bravest person I think I've ever met.. I cry over a stubbed toe, you faced the fight of your life and still managed a smile, a twinkle in your eye, and a concern for others.. The strength of a child is far greater then any adult.. That's something else I have learnt. Whilst children are fragile, their lack of understanding of the real world, and the lack of making excuses, proves that they are strong, stronger then we expect, stronger then us!

So as the the title suggests.. Tell the people nearest and dearest to you, that you love them. 3 simple words that have such great meaning.. I love you..