Sometimes in life, it can seem like we are invincible, especially when you are young. It’s not like there is a distinct attitude of being unbreakable but it doesn’t occur that bad things really can happen. You see the news articles about a crash and a Facebook post about this person being sick but all you can think is “oh how sad”. Unless you have experienced that before, it’s hard to put yourself in that person’s shoes. This week I was given some perspective.
Recently, a girl whom I didn’t know personally but had seen around for years was in a car crash. A lot of people were being so supportive of her and her family and it seemed like from the updates that she would be fine. I initially thought, “oh that is sad, but she will make it”. She didn’t. Seeing her best friends last update about this after being so uplifting for days was heartbreaking. I immediately called my mom who had been keeping up with her as well and we agonized for her loved ones while in shock. You can die this young? Driving along everyday just like she was? I texted my friends when I got home to drive safely because I couldn’t comprehend losing them. Just as my mom had placed herself in the mother’s shoes, I had placed myself in the best friends. She was doing the exact same thing I would do if any of my friends had been in that situation. Which lead me to the simple conclusion that is repeated time after time but no one ever takes seriously, you need to live life to the fullest and tell people how much you love them.
Not every day can be an adventure, and that’s not what living to the fullest is about. It’s about not passing up the opportunity to do something fun, about never letting anyone doubt how much you love them, about taking chances that could lead to great things. Laugh at yourself, be courageous, sing that song, tell that person how you fell, eat the cake, stand up for what you believe in, challenge yourself, and most importantly don’t give up. Stop saying that things can’t get better or that you are not good enough.
Despite the things that push against us, this life is still yours to lead. You have every moment as an opportunity to better yourself and to be happy. And stop keeping people you care about at bay. You may disagree on things at times, but that is no reason to not show them that you love them. Just like you, they could die any day too. Do you really want to leave things how they were? Would you be okay with them regretting and hurting if you passed away? On that note, don’t stick around with people who don’t care about you. Your life is short, and should be filled with as much love as possible. Every time I am unsure about whether I should do something, like doing something spontaneous or making a choice that would disappoint others but make me happy, I think, “I could die tomorrow”. It’s grime, but it is the truth. Any chance to be happy should be taken.
I did not know the girl personally, but from what I have seen she lived her life passionately and was a light in so many people’s lives. I hope that the same can be said for me not just when I go, but right now in this moment. You will not wake up every day and think “I am going to live life to the fullest” but please do it when it counts. Please make sure to have lived as best as you could.
“For what it's worth: it's never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There's no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you're proud of. If you find that you're not, I hope you have the strength to start all over again.”- The Curious Case of Benjamin Buttton
