What are the chances?

Quick recap of what happened while I obviously haven't been writing...

Christmas was great. Got to spend another one with my grandmother, which is always a joy because, well, you never know.

Submitted my video for Body Pump certification. I had to film myself on stage presenting a whole class and then ship it off to headquarters for someone to assess my skills. I'm thrilled to say that I passed with flying colours. It was a glowing report. I'm teaching two classes now and even have groupies! Two people follow every class I teach.

We went back to Daughter's Mecca over the weekend. Husband's grandmother was having a birthday party nearby so we made our way. Before the party, though, I ran into the Home Hardware to buy a t-shirt. Any Avril Lavigne fan worth their mettle knows about the Napanee Home Hardware shirt she wore on Saturday Night Live. Anyway, I walked in, took a cursory look around and then just went to the counter.

"I'm looking for 'the t-shirt.'"

"Ah, yes," said the clerk. "And how old is the recipient?"

Daughter was absolutely chuffed. "It's totally the exact same!"

It's great to see that girl smile again. We had lightning strike twice earlier this month. Daughter's friend's mother suddenly died of a cerebral aneurysm. She was only 34; the mother of three. My friend was fit and quite possibly the nicest person around. I've never seen her in a foul mood. I've never heard her raise her voice. She was so calm and friendly. She lied down to sleep. Her husband turned off the lights and not long after came the aneurysm. Quick.

I see people that look like her all the time. I still can't believe she's dead.

I signed Daughter out of school so she could go to the funeral home with her friends. When we got home, I was bracing myself to answer those tough questions when Daughter said, "Someone left us a message on the phone." So I had her answer it. It was from her violin teacher's husband. It turned out not 12 hours after the one mom died, the violin teacher had a brain aneurysm too.

Thankfully, she was very lucky. They took her to Buffalo of all places (they looked locally, even to closer big American hospitals, but no beds were available) where she's had a few surgeries and is expected to make a very good recovery. They're unsure if she will be able to play music, though. I call her every once in a while and she's very scared to pick up the violin.

Anyway, Daughter has learned a hard lesson about the fragility of life. She has been absolutely golden these days, albeit a little clingy. She makes a point of kissing me goodbye or goodnight. She hasn't been nasty to her brothers. She has little tolerance for people who are in the Happy Life Night Club and they're complaining about the noise. She knows life is short. It's a big pill to swallow at her age.