treasure your relationships

Tuesday something happened that I thought would never happen.

It wasn't just that my management class was cancelled without an email or an announcement to give the students a head's up.  It wasn't that I received an email the next day from the Director of Management telling the students that class on Thursday would be cancelled, as well.  It was the next email.  It was the email telling the students why class was cancelled, why we had received all of those emails.  It was the news that my professor, Barbara Keats, had passed away.  Although I had only known her for three lectures/classes, I liked her.  She loved her dogs.  She loved to volunteer and encourage others to volunteer.  She was happy, and she seemed healthy.

It turns out they think that she passed away from an aggressive infection that she had been dealing with.  The suddenness and unpredictability of her death got me thinking.  Usually, the people you know of, or hear of, passing away are either killed in some sort of accident or they are gradually getting sicker, and it's visible to themselves and to others.  In my professor's case, I had no way of knowing she was sick by looking at her.  It makes me wonder how many other people out there that I know, and will meet, are essentially dying.

From this point forward, I want to cherish every relationship that I'm apart of.  Whether it's my best friends, my family members, my friends, or even my acquaintances, every relationship is important and you never know when you won't see that person again.  Each encounter could be your last, and it's our job to make it meaningful.  The last thing I want to do is not be able to tell someone something they should have heard.  The last thing I want to do is to not have the chance to apologize.  The last thing I want to do is have regret.

RIP Barbara Keats.  You took a class that I was dreading and made me interested.