Life is Short

Got this from my email and I was so moved that I had to publish this here.

Life is not always the party we expected to be
but as long as we are here, we should smile and be grateful.

The girl in the picture is Katie Kirkpatrick.

Next to her is Nick, her fiance.

The picture was taken shortly before their wedding ceremony.

Katie has a terminal cancer and spent hours a day receiving medication.
Nick was waiting for her on one of the many sessions of chemo to end.

In spite of all the pain, organ failures, and morphine shots,

Katie took care of every detail of their wedding.

The dress had to be adjusted a few times due to her constant weight loss.

An unusual accessory at the party was the oxygen tube that Katie used throughout the ceremony and reception.
The other couple in the picture are Nick's parents,

excited to see their son marry his high school sweetheart.

Katie was all smiles as she listens to a song from her husband and friends.

At the reception, Katie had to take a few rests.

The pain did not allow her to stand up for a long time.

Five days after their wedding, Katied passed away.

Watching a woman so ill and weak getting married and with a smile on her face makes us think - happiness is reachable, no matter how long it last.

We should stop making our lives complicated.