Have you ever sat down and thanked God, or whatever you believe in, for the life that you have and for waking up this morning? Recently, a series of very unfortunate events have occurred and has made me think about how short and fragile life is.

Due to the way society is set up, we are taught to not care about what happens around us or to pay attention to the things that matter. Opening your eyes to your surroundings can teach you so much. You can learn to be grateful for what you have, to learn the body language of another person, to appreciate your environment, and to expand your mind.

Just last week there was a shooting at a high school an hour from FGCU. What happened was tragic and unfortunate. The lives of innocent children were taken due to the anger and frustration of another child. It was said that the boy who brought the gun had been bullied and harassed for years. This absolutely does not excuse the incident, but if we learn to care for those around us, we can prevent tragedies from happening.

The preacher man that walks around campus yelling at students had visited our school the day after the shooting and was yelling at students saying “Those who died in the shooting deserved to die for their sins! They are all going to Hell!” This startled the entire campus. A rally soon ensued in the courtyard. The campus police department and college President came out to monitor the activity. This shocked the entire student body and brought everyone closer as a result. The next night a vigil was held for the students who lost their lives, uniting the student body. Many people showed up to support those who lost loved ones.

I recently got into an argument with a close friend of mine. He had been rude to me and I got upset about the attitude he took with me. He and I didn’t speak for a few days. We finally met with each other to talk and he told me he was simply frustrated because he had lethal health issues. I had been upset with him for something so small when in fact he had been in the hospital fighting for his life and I had been so upset about something so minuscule. Learning to appreciate the people in your life is something everyone should learn, because they may not always be there. What if I had never spoken to him again and things had been left on a sour note?

There is a teacher here at FGCU named John Herman. He is an Intro to Biology teacher who has terminal cancer. He was told he had 6 months to live 9 months ago. He still shows up to almost all his lecture and lab classes for his students. Sometimes he cannot come to class because he doesn’t have the energy. He has a wife and children that he loves and cares about and still chooses to spend his time, as limited as it is, with his students teaching biology to non-science majors. He cherishes our generation so much that he chooses to spend his days teaching us. This is true appreciation of life.

Life is short and fragile. We must learn to appreciate it one day at a time, living each moment like it is your last. Your mindset can change the way you see things; be grateful for each breath.

“We’ve got everything we need right here. And everything we need is enough.” — Jack Johnson.