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Every so often someone enters your life for a fleeting moment and teaches you more in that short amount of time than you learn the rest of your life. That is what I have been thinking about since last Thursday when five year old Ethan Smith lost his battle with leukemia. I am sure Ethan thought of me as Sean's grandpa, the big guy that sat in the corner and watched them play. He might have thought of me as the one sitting in the chair dozing off when the "crew" of Reillys, Smiths, Thompsons and Boleys decided I would be a good place to deposit pillow after pillow and blanket after blanket. Maybe he recognized me as the one taking the pictures of his new outdoor play set who watched the brothers, sisters and cousins help each other go down the slide, climb the ladders, swing and just plain have a good time. It doesn't matter much what Ethan thought of me. It is more about what I thought of him. I was fortunate to have known him. He was all the courage in the world wrapped up in a little package. I am not sure Ethan knew any form of good health in his life, but he never let on, at least that I ever saw, that he was anything but trusting and happy. He came back from more things than most people will ever experience. And he did it with the love and support of a wonderful family, from his mother and dad, to grandparents, to uncles, aunts, cousins...you name it. Anyone and everyone who knew him was pulling for him. It wasn't because you thought you had to. It was because you wanted to. I have never heard anyone say life is fair. And certainly, what happened to Ethan is not fair. But it did happen and we have to accept it. Maybe not understand it, but accept it. I will miss the little guy. I will miss watching him play with my grandchildren. I will miss watching him grow up. But one thing is for sure....will take that chunk of courage that he would want everyone to take from him and place it in my heart. And I will remember him forever.