They say you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone, but why is it that absence is what makes us appreciate the people we had?
Recently, a childhood friend from back home passed away. It’s not like we spoke every day, but for several years, she was a part of my daily group of friends. Of course, life happens and we grow apart, but she was always present in my mind. I’d randomly remember anecdotes from when we were in band together, or when we spent late afternoons together waiting for our parents to pick us up.
This girl was only four years older than me, but I always remember her. She was particularly funny. She was the type of person who would light up a room when she walked in it, and on top of that, she was a really good musician. Even after high school, she went on to teach at a Panamanian music festival and did so up until now. I hate that now that she’s gone, everyone talks about all the influence she had; I wish those were conversations people had with her before she passed.
It’s crazy to think that you never really know what is going to happen. We talk to different people every day, or at least, for me, I will randomly text friends from back home I’m not as close with, due to distance, just to catch up. But you’d never think that they can just pass away on a random Sunday.
Telling someone simple compliments, or simply reassuring how you feel about them, is something that we should be making sure we do. Whether it’s a quick text, a handwritten note, or just catching up, we should choose communication over silence. Because if we wait for absence to teach us, we’ll always be one step behind.
