YOU NEVER KNOW HOW SHORT LIFE REALLY IS........

[CBUSYMOMMA]

I RECENTLY DISCOVERED HOW LIFE CAN JUST PASS YOU BY AND SLIP AWAY WITHOUT EXPECTING IT. YOU SEE MY HUSBAND IS A VOLUNTEER FIREMAN AND SO IS HALF OF MY FAMILY. WE HAVE ALL BECOME VERY CLOSE OVER THE YEARS. MY FATHER AND GRANDPARENTS STARTED THE DEPARTMENT PROBABLY FIFTEEN YEARS AGO, SO I'VE BECOME ATTACHED TO MOST EVERYONE ON IT. A FEW WEEKS AGO OUR CAPTAIN, RUBEN VELIZ JR., PASSED AWAY. HE HAD A HEART ATTACK AT ONLY 46 YEARS OLD. HE HAD A LOT OF HEART TROUBLE BUT ALWAYS GOT BACK UP AND FOUGHT IT. WE WERE ALL EXPECTING HIM TO GET BACK UP AGAIN. WHEN HE DIDN'T WE ALL TOOK IT PRETTY HARD. RUBEN HAD TWO YOUNG SONS AND A TEENAGE DAUGHTER. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS THAT IS MY WORST FEAR....TO HAVE TO EXPLAIN TO YOUR KIDS WHY THEIR FATHER WON'T BE THERE ANYMORE. HIS WIFE IS SO STRONG. I DON'T KNOW IF I COULD EVER GO ON LIKE SHE IS. THIS HAS MADE ME STOP AND THINK ABOUT THE TIME I SPEND WITH MY HUSBAND AND MY CHILDREN. YOU JUST NEVER KNOW WHEN THAT TIME WILL END AND I WANT TO KNOW THAT I WON'T REGRET ANY MINUTE OF IT. I JUST THOUGHT I WOULD SHARE THIS WITH YOU AND TELL YOU ALL TO GIVE YOUR LOVED ONES A BIG HUG TONIGHT AND TELL THEM HOW MUCH YOU LOVE THEM. I ALSO WANTED TO ASK THAT YOU ALL KEEP RUBEN'S FAMILY AND OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT IN YOUR PRAYERS.

[catysnanny]

Aug. 7, 2007 at 1:10 AM

I don't let people see me cry and I rarely tell anyone when I do. That said, this story made me cry. 

My father died this past  August. He was the Chief of the Jefferson County Volunteer Rescue & Recovery Squad for most of my life. The squad was started when I was a baby,I'm 46 now.  Every member of my family,-brothers,sister,in-laws,my children,and so on grew up in it. As members,both related and those that had just become friends through the squad had passed away it has become more and more painful.Since the passing of my father,NO ONE in my family has done anything else for or with the squad.

I feel for the Ruben family and will keep them in my prayers!!!