Today my heart breaks for my dear friend, Laura. I met Laura in 2004 when we were both education rangers in the Everglades. Laura has a contagious laugh and an uncanny capability to make me smile when I totally feel like shit. Every night, I could hear laughter emitting from Laura's room as she spoke to her boyfriend, Will, another ranger. The awful thing about Park Service romance is that you so rarely are in the same place at the same time all the time. Will was still in Yellowstone while Laura was fightin' gators, but it was completely obvious that they were totally in love. Fast forward and Will and Laura tie the knot in a small, but gorgeous ceremony in Hawaii (with their adorable beagle, Hobart as a witness). I only saw pictures, but love exuded from them. And like truly good people, they took their vows completely to heart. Will was diagnosed with cancer, to which our response was, WTF? Cancer? Who gets cancer at 30? Ok, let's do this. And they did. Chemo, surgery, flights to Huston, missed vacations and work. I've never seen two people so committed to one another. And yet, the cancer prevailed. Despite the faith and commitment and love to one another, Will passed-on yesterday. The death of someone so young is heartbreaking. The pain caused to his wife and best friend is heartbreaking. The only saving grace is that Will did exactly what he wanted to do. He lived the life he wanted to live, married the girl he loved, and fought hard to do it all. This should be a lesson for all of us. Life really is too short to leave things unsaid or undone. To suffer through work or life is doing a disservice to yourself and to anyone who didn't have the opportunity to live theirs. So, in honor of Will, I will seize this day and those that come after it.
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