I’m from a small town, and an even smaller community. Most people know one another, and it’s not uncommon for two teenagers to meet because their parents volunteer on a committee together. When you’re from a town that small, you get to know the people around you extremely well. Even if you don’t know them personally, you know who they are: the athlete, the musician, the theater kid. Even if you don’t know them, you become impacted by their passing in ways you could never imagine.

This past year, the lives of five young men were taken from my ever-so small community. I didn’t personally know most of them, but one of them was a close friend of mine, and although my community may not have known each man personally, the loss was felt by many.

Each one of those men was a son, brother, friend, or boyfriend of someone that I know, even if I don’t know them that well. They all brought joy to the people around them, and the passing of them is something that our community is still struggling to grasp.

At first, their passings didn’t hit me the way they hit others. I was upset, and my deepest condolences went out to the friends and families of those men, but I personally was not affected. Then, we lost our fifth member. A man who played football at our local high school. A man who was the friendliest, most inclusive guy I have ever met. A man who cared for those around him just about as much as anyone could. A man who was my friend.

For me, the passing of this friend hit me harder than the others. It felt like the world had stopped moving. “How could we lose five live in one year?” I thought. “How is it possible for so many amazing young men to be gone?”

It’s not a question that a nineteen-year-old should have to ask themselves. Moreover, it’s not a question that a parent, sibling, friend, or girlfriend should have to ask. No one should have to ask questions like these in their lives, but the fact of the matter is, we do.

Every day, someone somewhere loses someone in some way. They get old, they get into an accident, they doubt that their life has meaning to the world, and just like that, they’re gone. We don’t understand it and how could we? Most young people live effortlessly and blissfully thinking that we are invincible, that we have all the time in the world. But then one day, something tragic like this happens and we are reminded that we do not have as much time as we think.

We are humans. We laugh, we get angry, we love, we cry, and eventually, we pass on. It’s hard to contemplate and scary to process, but it is going to happen, and the best way to prepare for it is to stop and be thankful

Be thankful for the little things in life. Be thankful when you wake up and your feet hit the floor in the morning. Be thankful when your whole family is able to get together for the holidays. Be thankful that you have the opportunity to go to college.

We spend so much of our lives not acknowledging the things we have, and that’s not to say that we are ungrateful, but it is to say that we need to spend more time appreciating every second.

So next time you’re with your friends -- whether it be at a party, or just a casual night in -- embrace the moment. Think about how lucky you are to have them, and let them know it. The next time you have some time together with your family, cherish it. Remember that they are the people who love you unconditionally no matter what. And on the days when you feel like nothing is going right, remember that you have an army behind you, and try to appreciate that you had the opportunity to live that one day.

Sometimes being from a small community is tough. Everyone knows your business, and you feel like you can never escape. But sometimes, it’s such a blessing, because in times of tragedy you know you can always rely on your neighbor -- and he on you -- to help you through it.

For all of those that were impacted by the passing of those five amazing men, my heart goes out to you. Although I didn’t know all of them well, the stories I’ve heard and pictures I’ve seen lead me to believe they were all incredible people who were loved by many. They may be gone, but rest assured they will never be forgotten. May they rest in peace.