Appreciation

I try to keep my blog light and uplifting, but occassionally, something will happen that makes me pause and reflect. Today was one of those days.

Everyone was asleep in the house, so I took some time to catch up on my email, news and phone calls. Since I must multi-task, I flipped on CNN while I chatted with Krista about her upcoming transfer. A newsflash caught my eye about a University of Central Florida football player who passed away today. This was noteworthy to me for several different reasons. I'm unfortunately very sensitive to untimely deaths of young athletes for obvious reasons. My first thought is that there must have been some type of heart problem. After listening to the story for about ten seconds, I thought, "I know that name, I know that face." I then checked the Naples Daily News website and sure enough, the sinking feeling in my stomach was correct. This young man was a former student.

I in no way want to dramatize this terrible situation, but it certainly got me thinking. How many stories do we hear each day on the news where we listen, but then go on with our day? Do we even hear about the soldiers who are dying each day for our country? I am not saying we should consume ourselves with all of the terrible things going on in this world, but every once in a while, we should stop and think about what others are going through. Maybe our lives aren't quite so bad...

I haven't seen this former student in over six years, but from what I remember, he was a remarkable, respectful young man with a bright future. I had him in my math classes and he was student council president when I was the advisor. I hope by reading this entry and his story will cause you to give your kids and loved ones an extra hug and think about how fortunate we are for the good things in life. You never know when the flame can burn out too early. Please, take a minute to stop and smell the roses.


Here is the article from the Naples Daily News:
http://www.naplesdailynews.com/news/2008/mar/18/former-lely-high-football-player-plancher-dies-ucf/