To all the friends I met in high school,

to all the girls on my sports teams,

to all the people I met on vacation,

to all the people met at competitions,

to the people I've met on airplanes,

to the lady who helped me when I was down,

where are you now?

Are you out there?

Are you reading this?

Are you healthy?

Are you even alive?

I may never know.

To every passerby or anyone I've known for any period of time, you have somehow changed me.

No matter what we went through or how we met, you have made me a better person.

But you may never even know it.

When I heard the sad news of someone young taking their own life today, it got me thinking.

What made them come to this point?

What made them think, their life was not worth it anymore?

Was it something someone did?

Was it something someone said?

We may never know.

But what if it was someone else's comment?

What if it was the way one person treated them?

What if it was because of one person?

We may never know.

But to all the people who I've encountered, I want you to know, that you matter.

You have made me a better person whether it be how I have learned about myself from an experience or something I have admired in you.

And it is not just me. You probably have changed other people too and may never know it.

But I want you to know.

You should know that your actions impact everyone around you.

Your words travel through the minds of others

and your words may even become quotes that someone retells over and over.

You should know that you matter.

let me rephrase that...

You need to know that you matter.