Today I received some sad news. One of my high school friends passed away suddenly. I couldn’t believe the news. I couldn’t comprehend it. This was a friend who I worked with on journalism projects. We were never super close but he was always kind. He always had a smile, and he always made you feel important. He was mutual friends with a group of girls I looked up to. Unfortunately one of those girls also passed away at a young age. These friends were the type of people who really helped shape me when I was at a vulnerable age. They had kind hearts, they listened intently, they gave love freely, They were genuine, they supported each other, and they had aspirations.
It is moments like this that I realize how fleeting life is. I have learned this lesson too many times to count. Unfortunately though I don’t always get the chance to tell people how much they mean to me. Sometimes I realize that when I am frustrated, I get short tempered with people, even ones who have nothing to do with the situation. One of my issues is that I do let little things get to me and my impatient nature comes out. It is something I am actively trying to change. I am actively trying to be more like the friends who I have lost. I look back and I think how I could have better handled my emotions. Today I knew I was becoming an emotional wreck at work, so I left early to work from home. I made sure to tell a few trusted people what was going on, but I didn’t want to snap at someone for something out of their control.
I want to honor these friends and honor their memories with kindness. I want to spread the lessons they taught me on being a better person. I want to follow their example. The best way to do that is to be more aware of myself and work on reacting to my emotions. I want to practice kindness because you truly do not know what life brings the next day. I want to honor those friends I have lost and I hope they know how much they have shaped me.
Life From A.N.Z 