Yesterday was a good, long day. Pampered Chef party and brunch up in St. Joe with Josh and his mom, hanging out looking at baby photos of my babe, and then getting ready for a wedding.

Dear Tess & Laythen tied the knot, and it was a beautiful ceremony and a fun reception. I worked as a photographer to capture every guest on camera (ok, there were a few rascally ones who got away, but what can I do?) then rush out to get the pictures printed and then hurry over to the reception to place all the photos in an album for guests to then sign next to their photo. Phew! It was a bit stressful for me, so I was glad when the work part was over and I could enjoy the rest of the time.

Being with friends, being with my honey, enjoying lovely wedding cake, dancing, reminiscing... It was a great evening and a joy to witness them starting their new life together.

I came home exhausted but wanting to get the wedding pictures online so my friend Kate could see them since she wasn't able to make it to the wedding from Florida.

While I was online I checked my email and was stunned to receive word about a family acquaintance tragically and suddenly passing away. He was a friend of my dad's and relatively young - about 40.

Arthur Oduma was from Kenya, and he met my dad when he was getting his MBA at Notre Dame. My dad does a good job at reaching out to those who don't have family in the area, so Arthur had been over to the house a few times and was even a part of our Christmas a few years ago. They kept in touch, and Dad was always proud to learn of Arthur's latest accomplishments. Maybe you could say it was kind of a mentor type relationship, as my dad helped Arthur during his time at Notre Dame and even beyond.

He periodically got in touch with my dad, and then Dad would share the latest updates with us. The latest we had heard from Arthur was that he had moved to Boston to start his own company. He was ambitious and dedicated and hard-working.

Then something happened, and nobody knows what. Calls and emails to him went unanswered and unreturned. Suddenly neighbors report a strange smell and not seeing him for weeks. He had been gone for some time. And no one knew. All his family was still in Kenya. He had only met a few people in the Boston area, none close enough to know something was wrong. And now his body sits in Boston, waiting for money to be raised so he can be transported back to Kenya for burial.

It amazes me how quickly it can happen. I couldn't believe he's gone. I never thought that was the end of the updates of what Arthur Oduma is doing now. You never know when your path will suddenly cease to cross with somebody else's.

The death of actress Natasha Richardson has hit me hard too. One day she's skiing. She's happy. Oops, she fell. She's fine. An hour later - headache. And then... gone.

I just don't often think about how quickly someone can be gone. I rarely say goodbye to a friend and think that this may be the last time I see them.

What would I do differently if I did think about that reality?

I think I'd try to show more mercy, more kindness, and I'd try to share Jesus' love more.

I know Arthur did get to see that love. Through my dad and through our family.

I just don't want to have any regrets.

You can read more about this man here and here.