On February 5, 2017, the community of IUP lost one of our own. Although I didn't know this individual well, one of my very dear friends did. We were all in shock when we heard the news because we had just seen this person the weekend prior to his passing. Seeing my friend's pain and suffering during this time really got me thinking about life and how much we take it for granted.
When we go to sleep at night, we always expect to wake up in the morning, and we expect everyone in our lives to do the same. We never think that someone we love could get seriously hurt or even pass away. It's just one of those things that don't cross our minds all that much. Well, this incident really got me thinking about how precious life is. Nothing is ever for certain, and that is something we forget. I know I do this all the time. I simply expect no one I love to ever leave me. We even tend to take our loved ones for granted. We go to bed angry at others and just expect to make things right eventually. Think about how you would feel if you hurt someone you love, didn't make it right with them and then something happened to them? You'd probably be devastated. This is why I firmly believe that you should always swallow your pride and make things right with people, because you never know how quickly life can change. They could be taken away from you so fast, and then you'll always carry with you the burden of not forgiving them or asking for forgiveness.
Life is a crazy, wonderful and sometimes sad adventure, and we only get one. It is our job to make the most out of it and to leave a beautiful legacy behind when we leave this earth. If you love someone, tell them. If you've hurt someone, ask for forgiveness. If you're denying someone forgiveness, forgive them. You never know when that person could be gone. Live life to the fullest.
