I just heard the horrible news that my first cousin, only 36, suffered 3 strokes on Sunday and is in the hospital, still confused and weak on his right side.  He was carrying a bag of chicken feed on his head and, apparently, one of the arteries in the back of his neck tore.  He is only a few years older than I am and has always seemed so healthy and confident– he went to college at Harvard was the first in our generation to go to medical school. It seemed that he was always the “golden boy” of the family.  I am the one with the chronic disease, thinking daily about my health, and often feeling frustrated that I don’t feel as strong and healthy as I once did. Did my cousin ever think about how vulnerable life really is? I wonder if he took it for granted in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.  It’s a reminder to me, certainly, that we cannot predict what each day will bring. Even though I have my aches and pains, and my life is shadowed by a chronic disease, it could be a lot worse.