At the moment, I have family visiting us (my mom and me) from all over the country - my grandmother, great aunt, and aunt. Since there are two sets of sisters from two different generations, I thought it would be a wonderful idea to do a photo shoot with them. Previously, over the 4th of July weekend, I had a photo shoot with two of my friends on the pier of Lake Michigan and the pictures were gorgeous. As a result, I wanted to visit the pier again with my family to do the photo shoot with the water in the background.

Yesterday, all of us dressed up and drove to the harbor - only to discover several police cars and fire trucks parked alongside the street, as well as multiple reporters with news cameras, pointed at the water. Questions formed in my mind. Why were they there? What were they all looking at? What had happened? Turns out three men were swept into the water off the pier due to strong winds and high waves. One was rescued and taken to a nearby hospital while emergency crews searched for the other two men.

Earlier this month, when my friends and I were at the pier, the waves were small and the wind only slight gusts. Yesterday, the waves washed over the pier driven by very high winds. When we arrived, they had already searched for quite some time. Family members of the victims were scattered throughout the small crowd. I could not imagine what it would feel like to be one of those family members - knowing that by then they could only hope to find lifeless bodies.

One hears about tragedies on the news or through Facebook, or words of mouth; such as the Nice attack in France and the recent police killings across America. You feel for those who are affected and show your support by changing your Facebook profile picture, or expressing your thoughts in a social media post or saying a prayer for the victims and their families. In the moment tragedy strikes, it feels real and your heart feels heavy. Though after a few days, it becomes old news and you move on with your life.

This time, though, I saw the tragedy with my own eyes, right in front of me. It was real. Tangible. As dread crept through my body, all I could do was stare. I wanted to reach out and help in some way in an attempt to stop their pain - even jump in the water myself to find the missing men.

After some time spent in reflection, I could not help but think that it could have been my friends in the water or even my family members. This entire situation opened my eyes to how fragile life really is and how it can change in a blink of an eye. From this experience, I learned the importance of truly appreciating life and living in the moment, treasuring each day while holding onto the memories I create.