Yesterday I planned to have a slow day. I also hoped to be decadent and watch an episode of "Modern Family" at work.

I stumbled downstairs looking for coffee. My little dog Asha tried to be cheerful when she greeted me, but she's got some hacking cough that made her sound like death. Great.

I opened my email and there was this horrible news: My classmate Sean O' Connell had been shot and killed in St. Thomas, V.I.

Had a skype call scheduled with Grant in Spain, "Give me a few minutes - my friend died."

Got in the car. My mom called and said, "We're still alive. We haven't had a phone for four days and the forest fire came within a few feet of our cabin." What??! My parents are rugged and would rather tell us about near-calamities after the fact.

That aft

ernoon, I watched an episode of "Modern Family." Maybe I just needed to unplug.

Life is short. Stuff happens to us we never asked for. God doesn't promise us it will be easy, but he does hold our hand through all its storms. Some days I can barely make it even knowing that. I don't know how the rest of the world makes it without him.

More "life is short" thoughts here.