Happy mother and daughter making salad in the kitchen.

It’s that dreaded question. It might be casually asked in the morning before work and quickly brushed off. It might be that mid-afternoon text you’re not sure how to answer. Or it might come from your 7-year-old right when he wakes up because he likes to know what his entire day has in store for him and whether he needs to complain or not. (No? Just me?)

Family Playing A Board Game Together. Brothers enjoying family game time.

When I was a kid, I LOVED to play board games. My brother and I would play them together all the time. Guess Who, Stratego, The Game of Life – we had a stash of board games and we pulled them out every chance we got! And sometimes, our parents would join in and we’d have a family game night. And that was the BEST! I mean, who doesn’t love to beat their parents at a board game if given the chance?

Happy hiker reaching the top of a mountain and standing with arms up watching the sunset

I find myself in shock every time I hear of someone I know, someone my age, passing away. Death doesn’t feel like something someone my age has to consider. I feel saddened and angry, as though they have been robbed of some of the best years of their lives. Every time I see an obituary for someone I once knew, I find myself wondering if they were happy with the life they lived. I wonder if they would have had regrets or had wishes of a different life. I wonder about the void they are leaving in this world. I wonder about the people they leave behind and what those people would say about them.