As humans, we tend to get so caught up in everyday life that we sometimes go into fast forward mode and don’t see our lives passing us by as we do so. Think about it: how many times have you laid down on a Sunday night and thought to yourself, “Wow, the week hasn’t even started and I can’t wait for it to be over.” Or maybe you’re having a really rough, busy day and you think to yourself, “I can’t wait for today to be over.” The only problem is, once the day, week, etc. is over, what do you have to show for it if you’re constantly living in fast forward?
We all tend to do this, live life in fast forward. Unfortunately, it takes something monumental to make us stop, take a step back and reflect on the life that we are living, or maybe not living to its fullest potential. Death can have this effect, losing someone you love, especially when it’s way too soon.
I’ll never forget being away with family my senior year of high school and getting that phone call. It was like one minute everything was fine and as soon as I picked up the phone, my life was forever changed… in that ONE moment nothing was the same. One of my best friends had passed away and all I could think of was why? Someone so youthful, filled with so much love and potential, just gone.
As I get on social media every day and watch the news, it’s as if horrible things like that are occurring all the time. Beautiful, young lives lost way too soon. Life can be so devastatingly unfair like that sometimes.
They say that no matter what happens, no matter what you do or don’t do in life, it always keeps moving on. The world, no matter what, always keeps moving with or without you. For those of you who lost your lives way too soon, I want you to know that isn’t true. I want you to know that even though the world itself may continue to move, that movement has nothing on the mountains you’ve moved in the lives of those around you while you were still here.
I want you to know that even though we may seem like we’ve healed, like we’ve moved on, we haven’t and we never will. When you lose someone you love, there is no "moving on", there is no "getting over it", the only choice we have is to learn how to cope with it in our everyday lives. I want you to know that your absence never goes unnoticed. There will always be an emptiness in our lives that could only be filled by your presence returning to us again.
I want you to know that your legacy will never be forgotten. People may seem like they’ve forgotten, like they’ve moved on, but your memory will always linger even if it’s not noticeable on the surface. No matter how young you were, you left a piece of yourself with this world that will never be erased, your loved ones will make sure of that.
Most importantly, I want you to know that not a day goes by where your loved ones don’t think about you. Speaking for myself, I know not a day goes by where I don’t think about my lost friend and I know in my heart that will never change. Not a day goes by where something happens and I don’t wish I could call and tell you about it. Not a day goes by where I don’t wonder where you would be, what you would be doing, if you were still with us. Even though I already know it would be something amazing.
I want you all to know, that you will always be remembered. The world may continue to keep moving, things may be constantly changing, but the memory of you will always be everlasting.
