Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Sometimes life deals a blow that is almost unbearable. That happened to us yesterday. John was at a "Fireflight" concert about 20 minutes from our house when he got a message on his phone that his best friend in Nashville, Doug Mund, died suddenly on Wednesday night.

Apparently Doug attempted to drive himself to the hospital because he wasn't feeling well. He made it to the hospital parking lot where he lost consciousness and crashed into another vehicle. A hospital security guard saw it happen, and he immediately came to Doug's aid, starting CPR. The entire hospital "code" team worked on Doug, but he died of a massive heart attack. He was 42 years old.

John and Doug have been best friends since they were babies. They met when their dads were on staff together at a church in Tennessee. Doug and John were inseparable as children and teenagers. They spent weekends together at the Mund's house or at the Miller's house. Doug was the best man in our wedding. Although Doug and John have lived geographically separated, they have remained close despite the fact that they weren't in constant contact.

When John's dad died, Doug was our saving grace. He was a real estate broker at First Nashville Realty and Management. He took care of selling Maynard and Louise's house, including emptying out the house, selling the house, and all the legalities. He was such a blessing to us because we could have never taken care of it from this distance without Doug's help and expertise.

In October 2008, Doug flew out to Idaho and spent about a week with us. John and Doug took several trips into the mountains, enjoying 4-wheeling and soaking in the hot springs. I am so thankful we had that time with Doug. Who would have guessed he would be gone a year and a half later.

This is absolutely unbelievable. We can't believe he is gone. Doug seemed to the be the picture of health. His family said he wasn't having any symptoms at all until the day he died. Tuesday he was out and about with his friend in Nashville. Wednesday he was gone.

John is so sad. He alternates between shock, disbelief, and devastation. He can't believe his friend is gone. He has lost the two most important men in his life within two years. First his Dad in Feb. 2008 and now Doug.

These experiences of loss have certainly altered my perspective. I use to be so focused on career, on achievement, on reaching for the next goal. Between John's emergency heart surgery in 2008, then losing Maynard suddenly one month later... and now Doug's sudden death.... All those things have changed the way I see life. What matters most is family. Friends. Being who God wants me to be NOW, and trying not to sweat the small stuff.

Remember, tomorrow is not guaranteed. Neither is today. Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength. Love your family and friends. Take every opportunity to love them, hold them... tell them (in words) how much they mean to you. We never know for whom the bell tolls.