The terrible story of Natasha Richardson made me realize I need to appreciate everything in life, the good, the bad and the really, really crummy.

Momlogic's Andrea: Yesterday was a rotten day. I woke up late, got in a huge fight with my husband over whether his habit of "soaking the pans" was just a ploy to not have to wash them, my preschooler went on strike against wearing her shoes and I spilled my coffee in my car on the way to work.

I hated my life that morning.

Then I found out Natasha Richardson had died in a skiing accident.

I had been following the story like everybody else -- trying to sift through reports to find the truth about her condition. Surely, you couldn't really die from just hitting your head falling on a bunny slope. There must be some mistake that a 45 year-old woman with two kids, a husband and a seemingly charmed life was dead from such a freak, random accident. But it was true. And the thing about freak accidents is they don't care if you're wealthy, educated or if you've won a Tony for a brilliant performance in "Cabaret" or starred in the "Parent Trap."

Life can end at anytime. Boom. Done. All the petty thoughts and worries filling our heads become useless. The only thing that should have mattered is appreciating every second of our lives. Even the crummy times. Because turns out, the alternative isn't very good. It leaves behind motherless children and brokenhearted husbands.

I hear a lot about 'don't sweat the small stuff' -- mostly because I am the kind of person who sweats everything. But if tragic story of Natasha Richardson teaches me anything  it's that smelling the roses is only one way to appreciate life.

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