We had a beautiful day. A perfect day. All four of us, healthy,...

We had a beautiful day. A perfect day. All four of us, healthy, happy, running, playing in the sand and foamy waves. Building sand turtles who withstood the tide. Laughing at me when I didn't. Football and frisbee and peanut butter sandwiches crunchier with sand. Cheese crunchies and Vitamin Water and the wimpy pink shovel versus the good one with the green handle and yellow scooper. Four sparkly purple buckets filled with saltwater. And all of us happy and healthy.

On the way home, my son asked what Memorial Day was. We said it's a day where we remember those who aren't with us anymore, and then we went to Target and bought toilet paper and Legos and grabbed a pizza on the way home and kept on living.

But while lying with my baby girl as she fell asleep tonight, I stumbled upon a facebook post titled, "Remembering Bridget Zinn." The name sounded familiar. People have Tweeted it several times this last week, but I wasn't paying attention. I should have been. She was a librarian and 2012 debut author who just passed away from colon cancer. She was only 33. Thirty-three years old, a book on its way, a darling husband and poof! she's gone. Just like that. Bridget (which is also my sister's name)  lived in Portland where our dear Lisa Madigan lived before she passed this year.

I didn't know Bridget, but it's clear another bright star in our world is gone too soon. I hope they plan on publishing her debut novel, Poison, so I can get my own copy to keep. And to remember.

http://www.bridgetzinn.com/blog/