Kate Gross died Christmas morning. 2014.
A young mother, struck in the prime of life by colon cancer. Her boys missed saying goodbye by 10 minutes.
It’s a testament to her fortitude that they awoke on Christmas morning concerned about what was in their stockings, not about whether their mum would be there.
Kate made many memories in her brief life. With her husband, she created two incredible boys. She worked as a public servant. She founded an incredible charity, Africa Governance Initiative.
And before she died, she wrote a book. Late Fragments: Everything I Want to Tell You About This Magnificent Life. It’s available HERE.
Kate was 36 years old.
I’m not writing these posts to depress you in the new year, Dear Reader. Far from it.
We aren’t guaranteed tomorrow.
We put things off. We decide important things really could be done later. We rationalize. We avoid tough people and situations.
We don’t want to be vulnerable.
But Life is about embracing those messy things. It’s making a cache of memories that matter.
Our lives are our stories to write.
Read more about Kate Gross HERE. Perhaps her story will inspire you to Make a Memory in 2015.
And if it does, please share that memory with me.
19 Comments
All the best for her family and I hope, they could live forward…
They seem to be very strong people. I also wish them well.
what a poignant reminder –
I cried for them when I first read this, but what an example for her sons.
This is the best reminder to begin living today. Thanks Andra
You’re welcome, John.
Sometimes tomorrow doesn’t come, and our family’s today becomes those memories.
Her book is worth a read.
Yes. This is not a dress rehearsal. When my dad died, I kissed him and closed his eyes. His swirling path between confusion and clarity was done. The flood of memories bore me through that day and into right now. But he was 94, not 36. We had the comfort of inevitability.
He knew you were there, Jim.
OOF. Hit me like a tonne of bricks. A good reminder that writing will wait, that TV show will wait, etc… but the people in our lives might not.
Hit me the same way.
I’m with Helena! Wow! That was powerful!
A powerful message near the start of the year is a good thing.
Oh. I have no words except she will be missed and my condolences to all.
Good words.
We are all frequently guilty of the belief that there’s always tomorrow. Sometimes there isn’t.
I know I’m guilty of that belief. This was a good reminder.
This is so sad. I feel for the family and pray that they will all be able to move on. Hope she made lots of memories with her children.
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