Remembering Those We Lost...

Last year one of my classmates died of cancer. He left behind a wife and kids. Though we didn't keep in touch after high school, I remember him well. He had the biggest smile and was one of the friendliest people around. He used to tease me mercilessly in elementary school and I had the hugest crush on him. He was also one of our star football players and seemed to have a real future ahead of him. He was my age, around 23 or 24.

Last month, his older brother died. His ex girlfriend is one of my good friends and she called me with the news; he committed suicide by jumping in front of a tractor trailer. I did not know him well, I only saw him in the hallways and from the bleachers while he was playing football.

Six months ago, a young man that attended my college drowned. He was the editor of the school newspaper and we had the same friends, although not friends ourselves. He was 24 years old.

Three months ago, another one of my college classmates died in a fiery car accident here in Philly. I remember how he used to manuver around campus on his skateboard. He was one of the friendliest people I had ever met, always greeting me with a smile. He was 22 or 23 years old.

Today, both my best friend and my sister called to tell me that a young man that attended my old home church finally succombed in his battle with pancreatic cancer. I did not know him well either, but I remember seeing him around church growing up. He started out very quiet and in the background and turned into a very involved member of the youth community. He was 27 years old.

I am not sure what words to pick to descibe how I am feeling. I did not know many of these people that well but it still affects me profoundly. I feel as if too many young people are leaving this world, too soon. They were not done leaving their mark on this world or carrying out their dreams. They left behind friends and family that loved them. No one ever thinks that they may not live to see another day. I wonder if they accomplished half of the things that they wanted, or said all of the things that were in their heart.

Seeing the death of all these young people makes me want to live each day with a renewed vigor. I hope that I live to walk in my graduation or walk down the aisle to get married. I hope to see my child take his first walk, write my first novel, buy my first house, or even go on vacation in a couple of weeks. But who ever really knows what the future holds or how long it will afford us? But all we can do is live each day as if it were our last and have no regrets because life is truly too short.