Tuesday morning, I felt the end of someone else's time as mine rushed forward.

I was on a stopover in Phoenix on my way to Orange County when I got a text message that my 104-year-old grandmother died at 10:45am eastern, which is just when my plane had taken off from Baltimore-Washington International. I managed to get a couple text messages out to acknowledge my brother and wife before the plane took off again.

The westward ascent through the cloud deck into the dark blue domed stratosphere took on greater meaning. I hoped that grandma was continuing her journey somewhere up above, and I also felt my future rushing towards me a little faster.

The last photo in this post is of my almost three-year-old daughter Cianna stroking grandma's (her great grandma) cheek the night before she passed. It's our last photo of grandma.

I'm jetting back a day early on Saturday to get ready for the funeral on Sunday.

- mike lee - anaheim, ca