{Spark}

If there's one thing I've learned it's that some of life's biggest events begin in one second. The second between tears and laughter, driving and accidents, dating and engaged, 15 and 16, life and death are what create the backbone of our past. For every one second experience we have, whether we realize it or not, we change. Some of us learn from our experiences, others push it aside, but we all change in one way or another. I had a conversation with a friend a few nights back about how we cannot let time slip away from us, because it is the one thing that we can never get back. If you've ever lost a friend or family member, you understand what it's like to grasp for more time, just a few more seconds, just one more second...but time doesn't stop. When I think back on the seconds I've learned of a loved one passing or the seconds I'm thankful to be intact after a car accident I've mistakenly created an urgency to my life to get a lot done before I can't do anymore. I've let valuable time pass, franticly trying to get things accomplished. But then I think of the seconds I turned 21 in Wales, learned I was going to become an aunt, was asked to marry my best friend, walked out of my last undergrad final, received acceptance letters for grad school, and I'm reminded that our lives change in those moments as well. Our lives can change any day, any time, and in just one second, good or bad. So I guess all we can do is stay focused on what's good, hope for the best and live the life we were meant to live, because if we can't do that, what are we doing?