Non-Indestructible

That’s what we are.

Non-Indestructible. However, as humans, we tend to believe that we can do things that make us invincible. And especially pertaining to that of adolescent young adults, we sometimes strive to try new, almost impossible things that pose as a hazard to our lives without even stopping to weigh out the consequences. Remember, we are mortal. Death is a very dismal, and unfortunately, common & inevitable occurance. It is best to cherish what you have, before its too late.

Although I’ve only met him a few times, Andrew seemed like a really nice guy. Being a year younger than me, Andrew & I never talked during the times we were in elementary & middle school together. However, I’ve heard from friends of his that he was a good-natured, hard working person, and from watching his soccer games, a key goalie. And for such a young person, it was to my disappointment to find out just today that he had passed away on Sunday. It just seemed so unreal that someone I met, and someone who was thirteen days short of turning 18 and three months before his high school graduation, could be gone in half a second. I guess fast driving didn’t stop him from feeling invincible. It’s totally unfair how he got cheated of his life.. very undeserving. I just pray that his parents will be able to heal from the heartbreaking loss of their only child.. now he is in a better place where he can escape a harsh world.

I find it deeply saddening and oddly coincidental enough that two others had passed away in this same month. My neighbor, Gale Hirano, who had suffered a long struggle with lung cancer for the past couple years was one of the sweetest people I’ve known. I also find it unfair how, at her age, had to be taken away from her two young daughters (at my age) and her loving husband. However, it is comforting to know that her family is very accepting of Gale’s home coming, which in this case is heaven, considering that they have a very strong Christian faith, and that it is a part of God’s plans for her. I find it very heartwarming.

As for the third person, he was a schoolmate of my 12-year-old brother and also went to the same church my family & I go to. For quite some time, he suffered from liver complications and was confined to a wheelchair.. unfortunately, he did not make it through a liver transplant surgery. It really hurts to think how much of life a boy could miss, and how he’d spent part of it in pain. I just pray that, wherever he is right now in a questionable supernatural world, he is happier than he was before.

From these instances, it makes me think a little bit harder and realize that life is no joke. Like a cold slap in the face, stories about the passing of people you’ve known are a brutal wake up call, a stabbing reality check. As a friend recently told me, “hold on to those you have“ and never take them for granted because it can later lead to regret. Because of this, lately I’ve been more appreciative of my parents and family members.. I could imagine how much I’d hate myself if I got into a fight with them and before i know it, it’s too late.

The fact that tomorrow is my dad’s 50th birthday reminds me of how one of my friends living in my dorm had lost his father through a heart attack/stroke at the age of 50. It is shocking to believe that this all happened during winter break without any foreshadowing signs. My friend said that, coincidentally, his father’s father had also passed away at age 50. As mentioned previously, things like these act as a reality check.. I have the stronger need to cherish the people that have supported me throughout the 18 years of my life, because I just never know…….

I am so grateful to still have my family with me. God forbid they ever came close for me to lose them. I wouldn’t even want to touch on thinking how deeply crushed I’d be if my father or my mother didn’t make it long enough to witness my wedding day or experience the joys of being a proud grandparent. I pray for them to be there for me for the rest of my life.

Life is so precious and delicate, just like an eggshell. Once cracked, everything good seeps out. We have the power to control the life that lies in our palms, but like sand slipping through cupped hands, time is limited before its all gone. We need to take advantage of the finer things in life & appreciate those that take part of it before the last grain of sand slips out. Life is unpredictable and leaves our questions unanswered. You cant tell what will happen next or why’d it happen or when life ends. Only Fate can tell.