No Regrets

A friend was recently giving me a hard time (you know who you are...) because I don't clean out my email accounts like I should.  Not only do I have clutter at home and work, but I also have "cyber clutter!" I was going through some VERY OLD emails and cleaning out my Hotmail account and came across an email I sent out in 2000. I thought I would post it here....I titled it "No Regrets."

Written September 26, 2000:

You never know what can happen...our lives can totally change in the blink of an eye. Last Thursday, I walked into my school. Another teacher told me that an emergency staff meeting had been called. I assumed it was about the weather (when the threat of severe weather occurs, the administrators like to review emergency procedures.) When I walked into the gym, everyone turned and looked at me. The room was SILENT. The principal started walking towards me and said, "Dana, there was an accident last night and Marie was killed."

I don't remember a whole lot after that. I dropped my bags, the principal grabbed me and took me out of the room. I collapsed in the hallway. Somehow she got me to her office. I remember screaming, "Oh my God! No!" Marie had been my assistant for the past year. We were great friends....she was not just a coworker, she was like family! She was 43 years old and had a 19 year old daughter. Her daughter lived at home with her. Marie owned a hair salon. She worked there every night. While driving home Wednesday night, someone was speeding, ran a stop sign and slammed into her car. She was killed instantly. Many lives were drastically changed in that instant...including mine.

The main purpose of this email is to remind you all that life is precious and unpredictable. My new philosophy is "no regrets!" If something were to happen to Jarrod today, I don't want to live the rest of my life thinking "if only we had taken that trip, if only we had started our family sooner, if only...." I want to make sure my friends and family know how much I love them. I need to stop being afraid to say "I love you." I never told Marie that I loved her...I hope by my actions she knew that. I love all of you....you are my family and friends. Please, don't take anything for granted...live your lives with no regrets. Thank you for letting me share...I will need lots of support and encouragement...I know I can always count on my friends to be there for me.