So yesterday was an emotional day for my family and a majority of my home town. We had the wake of a man who had meant much to each of us. He was a father of two daughters, our local UPS man, a wonderful carpenter, and a great friend. His name was Lloyd Lange.
While I personally didn't know him all that well, one of his daughters was a friend of mine, and, because I knew the troubles her family has had, I felt emotional over his death.
No, I didn't cry, I didn't start having life crises or start thinking about my own mortality. I just became distracted. I busied myself with activities such as reading, writing, and, for some reason, cleaning. I also started thinking. I thought about how lucky I am to be alive and how, if I had been in so many places just a few seconds earlier or later, I wouldn't be.
It's amazing how death makes you grateful for things. I, personally, am so grateful for my friends, family, and even the people that I am not too fond of. I can't imagine where I would be right now, what I could be doing, if I had never met these people. Would I still be writing? Would I have ever became as obsessed with reading? Would I be in college or working in my parent's machine shop? There are just too many what ifs for me to keep posting them.
I'll leave you with this. What are you grateful for? Knowing that life doesn't last forever, will you go and talk to that friend that you haven't seen in a while? Will you go and look at the stars? Realize how small we really are? Take the trip you have been wanting to take? Whatever it is, I hope you have the chance to do it.
R.I.P. Lloyd Lange, you will be missed.
And prayers for his family.
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