How fleeting our time upon this Earth.....

Life, as we are so aware, can change in the blink of an eye. For many of us it comes in joyous forms of news or maybe a move somewhere or perhaps a windfall of an unexpected gift.

But along with those good and welcome entities we must be ready for the unwelcome words of the passing of a friend or family member. 
Suddenly it seems the world stops and you are left in a place that is filled with heartbreak. It brings you up short. The world becomes fragile and our life upon it so brief. 
Today I found out a very dear and immeasurably talented friend had passed away yesterday. She was close to my age - that, as well, makes one pause - and I am so stunned by the news. 
We know we will absorb the sorrow and continue on, but right now the light just dimmed. 
Gael, this is for you:

The stars I gaze upon seem different since that day,
While one shines brighter, another fades away,
You light up the winter sky, the moon at your command,
Convinced you didn't mean it, but your soul had different plans.

This is truth calling, makes its way to me,
And this is love falling, falling at our feet.

She was your sister, your neighbour, she was your daughter, your carer.
She was your mother, your sharer, she was your friend, your lover.

The bowing heads of many hold your image in their minds,
The endless search for answers occupy the time,
Gazing at the pictures, with eyes they fail to see
Why in a moment, robbed of reason, you embraced eternity.

   --A song by Capercaillie, the Scottish band.