The Surprise of Death

Earlier this week, two people in my community died in a tragic plane accident. I say from my community because I knew of them but we've never talked. However, their influence to the people around me have been astronomical and because of that, I see this incident as a tragic loss.

Every human being wants to make a difference in the world. And through my life, I've found people who don't realize that's what they want to do, who are in pursuit of that and who are doing it. Chad Wade and Justin Yates were those people who were doing it - one person at a time. I know that the difference they made on this planet is huge and will last a lifetime.

As I said, I didn't know them like I know my close friends, but death has us react in all different ways. I was never taught what to say, what to feel, what to do and how to react when you hear that someone has passed. It was, for the most part, hidden from me when I was growing up. It was something not to concern with the kids. But it wasn't until this past week that I gave myself the freedom to feel and do whatever was there. I was shocked, sad, upset, in denial, torn, and really aware of what I was doing. I was thinking of where my life was going. I now know that there is no perfect way to deal with death, there's no proper thing to say or do. There is just being with what is so and not doing anything else. Getting the reality check of my mortality has me write this to you - my community. I want to have you all do something you've been putting off, share your love with someone even though you know they know or even better - tell someone you've never told them how you felt. Because I promise you, sometimes you'll never know when the time is up. Chad and Justin were off on a business trip, they didn't think that when they left it was going to be the last time they would say good by to their families. So just for today, live it fully so that you can say you have.