I've been to a 53 year old friend's funeral today and just feel the need to say,

MAKE EVERYDAY COUNT FOLKS! :D

Yes I am a firm believer in life is for living - it's not a dress rehearsal.

Sorry that you lost your friend at such a young age.:(

Speaking as a 52 year old ...my heart goes out to you and to your friends family :(

Oh Val that is tragic :(  We just carry on as if we are going to be here forever until something like this makes us sit up and think.
I'm so sorry that you have lost your friend :(
Maria

Makes our problems pale into insignificance eh?
He was a lovely man.  His wife and he were teachers at the local school.  They adopted 2 boys 20+ years ago and were a great family.  Only family flowers and donations to the childrens' home where the boys came from all those years ago.  A great giver to the community - on committees everywhere.  Why can't the evil ones go early??? :(
He had an enormous send off in his willow coffin with Van Morrison music - no hymns. :) 

So sorry for your loss, at such a young age too :(

My mum died 19 years ago, aged 54, so I know how you feel. I also lost one of my dad's brothers the previous year, aged 50. I took the bull by the horns, so to speak, and started a new life. Ok, I've had a lot of ups and downs, but am happier now than I ever was. As has been said, this is not a practice, but the the real thing. Live life to the full and enjoy it. If your not happy do something about it. No-one else will.

That's my message too LindyLou. :) 

It's hard when special oldies got, but just seems so unfair when special people haven't had their three score years and ten! :(

I know how you feel Val.  My sister died 12 years ago today and she was only 39.  It seemed such a waste.  She had so much to live for.

You need to enjoy life as much as possible whilst you can.  You never know what tomorrow will bring.

You need to enjoy life as much as possible whilst you can.  You never know what tomorrow will bring.

Absolutely.  I discovered this when my ex Father-in-Law died 11 months after retireing having worked everyday of his life and the only holiday he'd ever had was when we'd taken him to Rome for the weekend.  That was my wake up call and it changed the way that I live my life.

But we can all slip into the comfortable rut again and sometimes need a kick to get us out there and make everyday count! :D  I had another kick yesterday and just wanted to pass it on to whoever might need it! ;) :D

Agree Val - the odd kick start is a good reminder to get out there and make the most of it :)

I agree and my new motto is
The life we have is borrowed,because we are never promised tomorrow.

Courtesy of Akon lol :)

I know how you feel Val, i'm due at a 38 year old friends funeral next week & as i'm older than she was i will make every day count from now on, life can be far too short, cheryl.

Totally agree to living each day to the full.

I went to an elderly (86) aunt's funeral yesterday which was slightly 'alternative' (as was she).  Buried in a field in a cardboard coffin, it was eventful to say the least.  The funeral directors had trouble getting through the kissing gate with the coffin held aloft; then a young heffer tried to jump into the field to see what we were doing and caught his leg on the barbed wire.  Mourners ran to help out and as they approached he managed to set himself free but the lady stood next to me though it was Doris in her coffin trying to escape.  Then the coffin wouldn't fit into the grave that had been dug.  The spade came out and they shaved a bit off the edge but only the top end went in!  Down on his knees, scraping at the earth with his hands, the undertaker did his best to push it in (despite the flimsyness of the cardboard) and I was rather scared Doris would appear for all to see!  Eventually they had to pull (and I mean pull) the wedged in coffin out of the ground and call the grave digger back with his mini-digger to make it bigger.  He was loudly vocalising that he'd dug 3'6" to order and it wasn't his problem it wouldn't fit!

Doris would have loved every minute of the furore she caused!

Oh I love it.

I bet Doris was smiling! :D

So sorry to hear this Val. :-(

Loved the Van Morrison though :-)  my type of idea

My OH is 50 this year. I can't believe it really.    He thinks he is 21 still..