Appreciation, something that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Appreciation for life and those who live it with you. Not only should you live every day as your last. But treat others as if it was theirs as well.

June of 2009. Quinn collapsed on the P.E. track. Quinn died at arrival to
the hospital. Quinn had a rare defect, an enlarged heart. In other words Quinn had the
heart of an eighty year old man at the age of 14. We went to the same school, shared a couple of classes, as well as a couple friends. However we weren’t friends. I never said anything terribly unkind to him, but I never said anything uplifting either, no compliments, no friendly gestures,nothing. I never valued his life, till it was gone. Some of my closests friends were Quinn’s best friends. When the principal came into class to tell us the news. The class burst into tears, telling stories about Quinn and how much he’d be missed. I couldn’t have regretted my existence anymore than at that moment. For once in my life I realized the value of a life other than my own. He had friends. He had loved ones, all who would be affected by his loss. He had impacted more people than I would ever know.

Quinn wasn’t the only one who drastically changed our school that year. Kristopher
was hit by a car not to far off school campus. Riding on his bike home he thought he could make
the intersection before the next car came. Kris was wrong, he was hit, and drug 20ft. Under the
car. I remember that day he was asking me for some girl advise. He was going to ask my friend
Mackenzie out. He wrote her a poem and had me read over it. It was so sweet. But she never
got it. I remember saying goodbye, riding home on the bus from school, seeing an ambulance
and something on the ground, with a tarp over it. But I didn’t think twice about it. Till the next day of school everyone was talking about it. As shocked as I was I figured he’d pull out of it, he hadn’t been killed he was just in the hospital. But when class started all rumors were set straight and for the next three months Kris wasn’t expected to make it through the night. Even when Kris came through he couldn’t walk, talk, nothing. Helpless, fragile, but strong. He surpassed all the
doctors expectations and although mobility wise he was impaired I knew inside he was as strong as ever.

Although Quinn and I didn’t have the type of friendship we should have Kris and I did. I
have learned from my mistakes on how to be a better person and how to appreciate. Appreciate
friends, family, and all those around you. Because your life isn’t just yours, you share it with all those closest to you. The few yet monumental goals in life should be to appreciate life and those who live it with you and to remember those who no longer can.