My life was changed by one single text message. I remember like it was yesterday. It was August 10th I just got done tubing it was a good day, and all of sudden I got that text that day I would have a different outlook on life. I lost a friend that I just saw 24 hours ago.The text read

“Valerie died in a car accident.”

I said “No she didn’t.”

“Yes she did.” I couldn’t believe it no matter what Morgan said to me . It just didn’t seem real the Earth stood still for the next few days. How could this happen? It took a while for it to hit me. It hit me once I went to visit Mitchell all my friends were there. Seeing him like that tore me down the most upbeat kid I know all of it was gone I couldn’t see him like this it was the worst things I’ve ever seen.

But she taught me something very important. It was never take something for granted because it can be taken away at any moment cherish every moment of life because life is short. I know it’s kind of sad that this had to happen for me to learn this. Life works in weird ways and, sometimes the ways it works are the worst ways possible. God works in mysterious ways also he takes the good innocent people away sooner than we would like him too but he all does it for a reason. This makes a big impact on my life I’ve never really lost someone that I knew personally. It has opened my eyes. This will forever have an impact on my life until the day it is my turn to go. People around me were crying every social media site sad posts the Earth was standing still. It felt like every other community was fine except for ours, we were all just filled with sorrow not knowing what do with ourselves. I’ve never seen a community come together like ours did on this tragic day. It makes me love this small community we have here.

This one message I’ll never forget it. My stomach dropping, my throat tightening up, my eyes puff up, and the tears coming down. I really didn’t believe that this happened. It’s crazy how this can happen in such an instant. How quick life just smacks you in the mouth and makes it terrible for you. It doesn’t matter how much you do in life or as people say YOLO. You make it what you want, and she made her life in 16 years great even though it wasn’t as long as people would of liked, but live life to the fullest because you never know when it could be your time to go. I realized this at her funeral when the priest was talking to everyone about her he really opened my eyes to remember the good stuff not the bad. He made everyone laugh because he told us the good things not the bad. But when the casket was put in the ground I knew this wasn’t our last goodbyes i would see her again one day.