Today I learned that a friend from back home has passed. I was flipping through my Facebook newsfeed when a message caught my eye. Cory’s aunt had posted on his wall to inform friends that he had passed on Monday evening, surrounded by family. And while we weren’t the best of friends and while we hadn’t talked or spoken in a long time, it rocked me to the core.
He was one of those people that if I’d seen him on the street I’m sure he would have said hello. He would have wanted to know how life was going, what I was up to. He was just that kind of person.
The first time I had met Cory was when I took Tae Kwon Do in my early teens. We started around the same time and he went on to get his Black belt and travel to Korea for training. In highschool we hung out with similar groups, had several classes together. We also worked together for several years at Ideal Supply. He was musically talented and played in a band. He was a down to earth guy.
His life was taken too young. Doesn’t it always seem that the best kinds of people are taken too young, before their time.
And so today I feel shaken. I feel grounded. My heart feels heavy.
Life is too short.
Life is too short not to appreciate every moment you are given. Too short not to take advantage of what you have been given and do everything in your power to make the most of it. Life is too short not to be happy. To not love and be loved by others.
Some days I feel so brave for the things that I have accomplished in my lifetime. But on days like today I find myself asking, has it been enough? Have I been doing what I was meant to on this Earth? Have I made a big enough difference? Have I impacted someones life enough to make a difference? Have I been as kind as I could be? Have I shared enough as I could have? Would I be remembered with love and kind words?
I would like to think I have.
But today I have been humbled. Today I remember a person who was those things. A person who no bad words could be said about. Today I remember a friend, a colleague and a classmate.
May you find peace now. RIP Cory.
