My brother died Saturday.

I came home from a conference on Saturday. Shortly thereafter, I got a phone call from my mother, giving me the news that my younger brother died in his sleep Saturday. Not the kind of news one wants to hear. He was 46, and having some medical issues, but not anything that we expected to do this.

I wrote the news on my facebook page. Support flowed from all over. It was very comforting. My sister-in-law posted, in part:
one can't help but be reminded of how fragile and precious life is. Tomorrows are not guaranteed.

My reply:
Tomorrows are guaranteed, but not necessarily in this life. The bodies we are given are strong beyond belief, fragile beyond imagining. We learn, we teach, we grow. And each in our own turn, we leave. The time we have here is precious. Cherish what you learn. Give freely what you can teach. Hold dear in your heart what you love.

Rest in peace, Jeff.