Say, "I love you!"

Isn't it sad that once someone is out of your life, you notice what they said and how important it was to you?...That thought totally hit me this weekend.
You dont know what you have until its gone!
My favorite story is of Joan d'Arc. She stood up for her beliefs and she didnt care what others thought of her. She was burned at the stake because she was not going to give up her beliefs just to be accepted by the common man. But now she is the patron saint of France and she is looked up to, world wide by all cultures and religions. She was not noticed until she was killed. No one realized her importance until she was gone.

When I was a sophmore in high school I had a fitness class with a kid that was the sweetest kid on the earth, but of course I didnt realize that until he passed away. He always told me to SMILE and to this day whenever I am having a bad day, I think of this kid in my fitness class. JJ always seemed to protect me, and make me feel better. When a guy was harrassing me, he would go up to them and tell them to leave me alone. He really knew how to make my day. I could go on and on about all the bad experiences I had that turned into good experiences because of him. One day, we were talking and he told me he wanted to see me smile more and after that when I would see him in the hallways, he would tell me to smile and he always made me feel good. Later that year the seniors graduated on a Thursday, and JJ walked the line and was done with high school. He had so much ahead of him, swimming scholarhsips, a mission, and a full life. But him, his dad and a few of his brothers left saturday for a swim meet he had in California, I believe, and they were in a terrible accident and he died on the scene. gone. just like that. two days after his high school graduation. I remember going to the funeral and dealing with his death, but the one thing that I will never forget was "SMILE BRIDGET!" and I know he would want me to be happy and smiley. :)

Tyler Gropp was important to me, for sure, before he left for school, but I didnt realize what he did to me until I didnt have him around anymore. Before I met Tyler I thought I was living a normal day to day life. But he made me realize how unhappy I was. I was just going through my day to day actions. He put an extra step in my pace, a reason to get up out of bed in the morning, I wanted to be better and do a little more, I was happy again and I lived on his comments to me and his sweet sweet spirit. But I didnt realize how much he did to me, until he was gone and I didnt have him to lift my spirits up.

Its the same with Grandma Nielson. I didn't realize how much I loved her, looked up to her, and treasured her in my life, until she was gone. What an amazing woman she was and I will always remember her big, long hugs. I now want to learn how to play the piano again, just for her. She really was a perfect role model for all her kids and grandkids and I hope I am like her one day. I love you Grandma Nielson!

So if you learn anything from me and my words, I wish it to be this, dont wait until someone is gone in your life to realize the importance they were to you. Dont wait until goodbye to say I love you and thank you.
Today, I want you to pick out at least one person in your life that has made you, you. Tell them I love you and thank them for all that they have done for you. Tomorrow, I want you to pick someone else in your life, and continue to do it for the rest of your life, and soon enough it will just come to you as second nature. What a life it would be, if we said I love you and thank you to those that deserved it, all the time and willilngly.
I LOVE YOU AND THANK YOU!!