Carpe diem, quam minimum credula postero

Never has this saying (seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the future) had more meaning than this afternoon.

I stood at my back door staring out at these steps in my garden as I took one of the most dreadful phone calls of my life.

I discovered one of my most dear friend's mother had been in a horrific freak accident.

She'd been chatting to her mum as they left her flat to go for dinner and as her mum turned to say something she slipped backwards and fell headfirst into the wall.

She's now in intensive care after undergoing lifesaving brain surgery and no one is certain what the next few days will bring.

What my friend is struggling with is the fact that one minute they were chatting, laughing and looking forward to a lovely dinner and the next her mum was in the back of an ambulance.

I learnt 10 years ago that life throws some curve balls our way but today as my friend tried to make sense of it all and I stared out at the garden listening to the awful chain of events I realised we really do need to make the most of each and every day we have on this earth.