Life. You never know how precious it is until someone is taken away from you. So often, we take advantage of the one precious life we have and never really sit back and appreciate the beautiful, amazing, jaw-dropping, heart-racing, and astonishing life that we live. Instead, we just go through the motions of life just trying to make it through the daily stresses week to week. Sometimes, we can be inconsiderate to others, simply because that person was negative to us or we just do not care for the person. Imagine that your life has suddenly ended right now. What kind of legacy would you leave behind? Would you have lived your life to the fullest? Would every person that you encountered have a good thing to say about you? Would you have taken in all of life’s beauty and not just gone through the motions? If the answer to these questions is “no,” it’s time to reevaluate your attitude about this great blessing of life that God has given us. It’s time to live your life as fully and graciously as you can. I don’t think that I have learned this lesson from anyone better than my boyfriend and my mom.

Each of these people that lay so close to my heart have lost a best friend that they grew up with. Each of these tragic and heart-wrenching losses happened unexpectedly and shocked every loved one that they knew. Both of the wonderful people that lost their lives have left behind a beautiful legacy and have touched so many lives. I know that both my mom and my boyfriend would go back in time and express to that person just how much they meant to them and how much they love them. Both my mom and my boyfriend have taught me to always tell someone close to you that you love them every chance that you get and to live fiercely.

We never know when someone is going to be taken in God’s hands so it’s important to be kind to everyone no matter the circumstance. With that in mind, you never know when your time will be either so it’s important to take in all the beauty that life offers. From all the beautiful places that God has created to the beautiful relationships and friendships that God provides you with, and even every pain and emotion that God has challenged you with. Every minute in life is a wonderful blessing, even when you are going through the darkest of days, you can still see the light that surrounds you.

So tell every person that you love that you love them, take in all the beauty that the world provides, laugh hard, love fiercely, travel, be kind to everyone you encounter, volunteer, be a neighbor, help someone in need, take care of each other, and always live in Christ’s image.