“Holy s***.”

So began an email yesterday from a dear friend informing me of her hospitalization with a severe carotid artery blockage. She had come very close to suffering a serious stroke, or possibly even dying.

I was dumbfounded. By all outward appearances, my friend is the epitome of health. She eats well and gets lots of exercise, she doesn’t drink too much, never smokes … she pretty much does everything right.

Well, it appears that wasn’t quite enough.

My dear friend had a congenital defect that had lurked undetected until a few days ago, when she noticed “a very mild eyelid droop and reduced pupil response.” Thank God she (a) recognized it, and (b) took it seriously, and (c) went to the ER.

To my indescribable relief, she’s responding to the blood thinners and is expected to make a full recovery.

But once again I find myself meditating on the fragility of our lives.