Recently, I learned that a friend from high school was killed in a car accident. It got me thinking, not only about the fragility and unpredictability of life, but also how quickly the life we knew has changed.

As college students, we are adjusting to whole new lives, full of new people and new experiences. It is easy to remember the four years that we spent adjusting to yet another time in our lives when things were new. In high school, we made friendships, gained new experiences in life, and created different kinds of relationships that may now be changing. Those relationships may be with friends, acquaintances, or loved ones but as we ease into a new chapter in our lives those relationships have new faces.

The people that we spent four years befriending and growing with are getting married, having children, making history, and yes--passing away. Life takes each one of us in different directions and sometimes away from each other. But, as those who we knew are being lead away from us, new adventures and journeys are being had. Even those from high school who were not close friends may have had an impact on us that we cannot know. Each person we have known thus far holds a memory and a connection that has touched our lives.

The only thing we can do is to appreciate those who make an effort to be present in our lives, tell them we love them, and that they are important to us. Give thanks for those who continue to make our lives better. Life is unpredictable. Be present.