Nothing for granted

I am a member and board member  for a small dressage GMO.  I'm also part of the horse community in the Lehigh Valley here in Pennsylvania. It's a small community, and when you ask a local equestrian if they know another equestrian, the answer is almost always yes.

Just a few weeks ago, we all lost an important member of our community  in a car accident. I knew her for years, boarding at the same barn, and later through our GMO, where she also served on the board.

I need to be careful not to overstate my connection to her. She was not my BFF, and we were connected mostly through our horse-related activities. But she was someone I would call a friend.  We used to meet for dinner occasionally, and we would touch base via phone and email. She was a tremendous help to me as I started to be involved in the board and in show management.

What would be hard to overstate is her thoughtfulness, her generosity, and her kind spirit. When something needed to be done she was always ready to lend a hand, and she was cheerful and hard-working. A lifelong girl scout with a 50 year pin, she embodied the Girl Scout Promise.

A lot of people found out about the accident from a Facebook post. I heard via email.  There was a flurry of email -- sadness, shock, disbelief, and concern for those close to her. 

I never dreamed, I never dreamed, that the last time I saw her would be the last time I saw her. 

There is nothing to say or learn from this. Nothing, maybe except  to take nothing for granted. Take no one for granted.