The Tangrens

The events of the last couple of weeks have provided opportunities to reconnect with old friends and I was reminded again how fun it is to get together and reminisce. In the busyness of life I'm finding it more and more important to try and take time and remember all of the experiences, good and bad, that defines who I am.

So, at the risk of incurring the wrath of some of you who are pictured below for publicly releasing these photos, here is an eclectic assortment of pictures from the last 12 years or so. If nothing else, I hope it gives you a little chuckle as you see what we used to look like.

Aubrey, the wife of one of Derek's high school friends, is at rest today after a battle with breast cancer. It was only a little over a week ago that we had a special fast for her that she would be able to see her oldest son's baptism in person on the 23rd of this month. In honor of that hope I put on a pink necklace that I have worn every day since. That particular hope is gone now but I am just not ready to take it off yet. Maybe it means some thing else now. Maybe it's now only so I can honor her memory. It was only a week and a half ago that she relinquished her responsibility at the University of Utah for the class that she taught. It all went so fast. A blessing and a curse. I keep thinking about her children her oldest almost 8 and youngest around 5. They will remember her best through pictures, videos, audio tapes (or mp3s?), letters and stories. I know they took a lot of family vacations to make memories for them to treasure. I hope it is enough. I hope there will be grandmothers aunts and special friends that will somewhat fill the gap left in their lives although I know no one will ever completely fill it. Now I'm left feeling sorry for the lost opportunities, I should have taken. She never met Hyrum in person. We wives of the high school friends never got together to do that golf outing we talked about. We were going to have parties all summer. She always wanted us to get together more often and would jokingly use the "dying" card to give us guilt trips. Will we get together more often now? Would that be honoring her memory? Somehow I just keep thinking that it's backwards. Why wait till now to take the time? Why does it have to take something dramatic like this? How long will it last? I hope you all who read this will take the time this month to go and spend an evening with some friends that you haven't seen in awhile. Take that walk with your spouse. Go to Sunday dinner at your parents. Take your kids to the beach or park and take pictures with them individually. What ever you've been "meaning to do" with family or friends go and do it this month. And take pictures. Don't wait. Do it for Aubrey, even though you may not have known her. Life is too short. Make memories.

Aubrey and her family a few years ago Halloween.

Read about her here