I have realized that life is short.

You can never learn that lesson the easy way -- you learn it harshly, and without any warning. It happens when you lose someone close to you; it happens when you hear about a tragic story on the news of some horrid accident; you see it when a life is taken by unnecessary violence. You learn this lesson countless times in your lifetime, in many different ways, at many different times.

I think that whenever this happens, we are jolted with the remembrance of the idea that it is important to appreciate the people in our lives while they are still in our lives.

But that idea should be more than a sappy reminder we read on a hallmark card that we send to our loved ones on holidays. It isn’t something we should only focus on when something tragic happens. It is something that should be a constant theme in our daily lives. I want to eradicate the idea that you should feel uncomfortable telling people how you feel. Tell them how much they mean to you. You don't have to miss people that are still here. Loss is a battle that we never chose, but it is a battle that we can rarely avoid. So why not lessen the wounds by constantly making sure that you have done all that you can to prepare for it?

I think that society trains you to believe that it is important to be guarded, because grief is the enemy, and allowing yourself to be too vulnerable means you are putting yourself at risk of getting hurt.

Let grief soften you, let your scars be reminders of all that you’ve gone through. Do not build walls to protect yourself; that only keeps people out.

We need to destroy the idea that we cannot be vulnerable and also be strong. Life is short, and there will be people that you lose, so make sure that they always know how much they are loved while they are still here.

I have experienced loss, and I have a lot of people who are close to me who have experienced far greater loss. There are so many parts to a heavy heart, but every time we talk about grief, I hear the same thing: people always say that they wish they would have told their loved one how much they meant to them more often. If we all have the same regret, why do we all wait to say it until it’s too late? Why don’t we prioritize each other the way we so easily prioritize work and school, and making money? Why do we let our relationships fall to the sidelines if we are constantly reminded that people don’t last forever?

I think it is because we have been taught to be uncomfortable with our emotions.

We have been programmed to believe that emotions are messy and uncontrollable and an obstacle that gets in the way of us being the most productive version of ourselves.

And maybe all of those claims are true, but our feelings are also what make us human. When life gets chaotic and busy, I hope you all take a minute to remember to tell the people you love that you love them. Be loud about the way people make you feel. Go to bed at night with the satisfaction of knowing that you said what you wanted to.

No matter how uncomfortable it feels to be open with your feelings, it is 10 times more unsettling to have to live with regret.