Alright Steem fam,

Today's post is a little depressing, and I apologize in advance if you're looking for an uplifting / motivational / oo-ra topic.

This isn't it.

The Loss of A Friend

Yesterday, I learned about the passing of a high-school friend. For the sake of this post, we'll call him DG. Although we weren't close, we shared mutual friends with whom I was very close with.

DG was 26.

He was coaching high school football.

He had recently fallen in love with the girl of his dreams, and they were head over heels for each other.

He had enormous potential and a promising future.

But sometimes, God's plan is not our own.

And just like that, he is gone. There's no getting him back, no way to plead for a different ending.

The finality of death can be shocking.

God's Wake Up Call

Seven years ago, my on and off boyfriend of three years was murdered. His name was Dylan, and he was 19.

I was devastated. Numb. In Shock.

And as overwhelmingly hurt as I was by my own personal loss, watching the grief of his parents doubled the heartbreak. Understanding tragedy until you've witnessed a parent who has lost their child.

It was the biggest wake up call I had ever had in my life. It showed me how very mortal we all are, and how quickly life can be snatched from us.

But it was through that experience that I learned that there are different ways of coping with grief.

I watched as the people I knew turned to drugs, alcohol, and isolation.

Meanwhile, I did the only thing that has ever helped to clear my mind. I retreated to the mountains.

During the course of the next year, I did a tremendous amount of camping, fishing, hiking, and snowboarding.

I tried to squeeze as much out of life as I could. Initially, it was to put my feelings into something constructive rather than destructive. But on a deeper level, it was because I had become obsessed with wanting to make the most out of my life.

Fast forward seven years to today, and the death of DG is just another wake up call.

The clock is ticking.

Tick, Tick.

None of us know how much time we have left.

We have no idea how much time we have to make a difference in the lives of others, or to finally accomplish our goals.

It could be another forty years, forty days, forty hours. There's no knowing.

After losing someone close to me, I've found that the the sound of that clock ticking away has become much louder.

"Make every second count." It says. "Every day is a blessing."

But you don't need to lose someone close to you to learn that lesson.

Don't wait until someone you love is gone to start making the most out of your life.

Be kind. Give. Explore. Be adventurous. Push yourself to be the person you want to be.

You never know how much time is left on your clock.

Stay awesome, Steemers.

-Angela