Our days on this Earth are numbered. Some of us are lucky to have a bigger number than others. But the number is less important than the quality of those days — and how you have impacted those around you.

Kona had fewer of those days than many, due to her cancer but what an impact she had on so many people, but especially on me. She taught me the game of golf — not so much the rules but how you can share the time with your loved ones on a beautiful green lawn hitting a small ball with many dimples into a hole just slightly larger than the ball. It is a silly game, really — but it is not the game that carries importance but how you handle the ups and downs — and how you enjoy the good play of your partner and commiserate with their errant shots.

When I started playing golf, I brought the same passion I had when I played baseball, softball, and touch football. Winning was everything. Mistakes were crushing. You cheered on your teammates and cursed the accomplishments of your opponents.

Kona taught me to enjoy my playing partners' company and cheer them on. And how much fun it was to play the game with my life partner — cheering on her golfing accomplishments. We even made a mild competition out of it — whoever won the match did not have to wash dishes. Darn, she was good. She could not hit the ball as far as I could but was deadly accurate. I washed a lot of dishes in those days. I would love to do it again. But that's not how life works.

So remember to enjoy your every moment with your loved ones. You never know how many or how few you will be granted — make the most of every single one. Damn, I miss her.