Love Like Crazy

There always comes change in our lives--change that we did not cause and helps open our eyes to remember what we have.

Yesterday I received the news that a young man from my high school was in a severe car accident and passed away, with his best friend (also in my high school) being badly injured while in the passenger seat. I couldn't believe it when I heard the news. It was so sudden, and none of us were expecting anything like this to happen so quickly. My high school class is keeping him in our prayers, as we have hope that he will live.Although I didn't know them that well, I had classes with them, and their laughter and love for life was always contagious.  They were nice to everyone and wanted to live life to its fullest.

Nate, who passed away, was a good friend and example to many. You could tell he had a love for the gospel and always made people around him feel better as he brought out them.


On top of all of this, today is September 11, which brings back horrific images of what happened. I was nine at the time in school, and I had no idea what was going on. Teachers would whisper to each other with panic in their eyes, and one of my classmates said that a plane crashed into a building, but I didn't believe him. Unlike many students who watched it happening live on TV, I didn't know what happened until I got home. From then on, it was in the newspapers, on TV, places were closed, and people were scared of what may happen next or how our country would turn out. But more than that, it was nearly impossible to think of how many fought and died for our country through great sacrifice. It was a tragic event and is still remembered today, but it has helped me appreciate even more fully that I am an American. It brought us closer together as a country and helped us realize what matters most.

cool image I found online--skydivers flying the largest US flag over New York's Ground Zero last year on 09/11/11

With all this being said, these past couple of days have been a reality check to what matters most.
Don't take anything for granted.
Reach out to strangers in need.
Laugh more often and find the funny things in each day.
Express your gratitude and show love to those close to you.

This also makes me think of the chorus to one of my favorite songs:

Be a best friend
Tell the truth  
And overuse I love you  
Go to work, do your best  
Don't outsmart your commonsense 
Never let your prayin' knees get lazy 
And love like crazy

There are many other things that we can remember to do, but these events and changes that happen to else help us appreciate more what matters most.