A few weeks ago, I got the sad news through a colleague of mine from my other life (as a food and wine writer) that Norene, a mutual friend of ours in Canada,  had recently lost her beloved mother.

I smiled as I remembered all the good times Norene and I had had at culinary conferences throughout the years, and how she’d done some tough recipe testing on my most recent cookbook.

Concerned and worried because I knew what a soft heart my friend is, I e-mailed Norene with my condolences and to let her know she was in my thoughts.

In typical Norene style, she responded immediately and shared this anecdote with me. I knew it would make a perfect Five More Minutes With Editor’s Note, and she graciously agreed it was okay for me to share it.

After my mother died, my brother told me, “You’re an orphan now,” Norene said.

I replied, “It’s not so bad becoming an orphan at the age of 70. I was lucky to have my mother for such a long time.”

Do you feel lucky to have the people you love in your life? Do you tell them that often enough? Do they know you feel lucky?