They say time heals all wounds but that is not true. Time simply teaches you that you need to still live your life everyday and live through the pain. Your life must go on after someone else’s has ended. Four years ago someone was taken away too soon. This person was someones child, someones sibling, and a good friend of many. When we are young we go through life thinking we are invincible, something bad would never happen to us. Then one day changes everything. Something makes us realize we are not invincible and we are not immune to pain and tragedy. We all know that life does not go on forever, but no one thinks about how a life can get cut short. Death is inevitable yes, but it is almost normal to say a grandparent has passed away. As sad as the loss may be it is expected, they were growing old in age. What do you say when a young person passes away? Someone who did not even get a chance to graduate high school, or learn to drive. Someone who will never get the chance to get married and have a family. How do you react? What can you say?

It is almost like there is nothing to say, and you will never figure out how to react or what to say. One day someone is with you, the next day they are gone. One phone call changes your life and flips it upside down and you never saw it coming. Someone you know and love has had their young life come to an end, the first few days you spend praying at night that it is just a bad dream, that this cannot be reality. Then every morning you wake up and you are slapped with reality; the reality that the person is gone. The reality that you will never see them again. The reality that the last thing you said to them was the last thing you would ever say to them. The reality that death is real and being young does not make you invincible. What are you supposed to do? You are supposed to live your life. Live out the life the person gone too soon did not get to live. That is what they would want you to do.

To the person gone too soon, you have taught me so much. You have taught me not to take any day for granted. Everyday that I wake up should not be a day wasted. Time on this earth is precious. You taught me not to take the people in my life for granted. You never know when the last time you will see someone is. Never let a petty fight get in the way of a friendship or relationship, you never know what the last thing you will say to someone is. The last words you say to someone will stick with you for the rest of your life, make sure they are kind. If you care for someone tell them, not only tell them but show them you care. One day you will look back and it will be too late to say all the things you wish you would have said. Also if you care about someone, you have taught me that I should fight to keep them in my life. You should never let someone you care for walk away so easily thinking one day they will come back into your life. You taught me that one day may never come. Value your friendships and relationships with those you love. Hold onto memories dearly. Everything can change and your life can be flipped upside down in a second.

To the person gone too soon, it has now been four years. Thank you for the life lessons, but I still miss you more than I could ever explain.