I looked straight ahead, in complete awe of what was about to happen. In less than a second, my car was about to dive head-first straight into this other car. So many thoughts rushed through my mind in this fraction of time.

This is it, my life is about to end. My poor family. What will happen when they find out? How are they ever going to get on with their lives? I am literally about to DIE. Please don't let this happen. God, I really don't want to die—CRASH.

Was I dead yet? Was I dying? I was in a state of utter awe and confusion. All I found myself doing was crying and screaming for help. Thankfully, nearby construction workers and bystanders surrounded me, making sure I was alright. What did I just do? Did I hurt the other person? Or even worse, did I kill them?

"Is the other person okay?" The first thing I asked when I got out of my car. I repeatedly asked until I received a solid "Yes." I felt a surge of relief; that would be the last thing I would want in my conscience. Time went by and the scene filled up with more people. Although I had initially said I was fine and did not need medical attention, I soon found myself in an ambulance being rushed to the hospital. At this point, after all the chaos had simmered down, all I could think of was how glad I was to be alive.

Being in a near-death experience is one of the scariest things in the world, but it really does humble you. I came so close to death that all I could do after was start to appreciate life. Life definitely has its ups and downs, but after almost losing it all together, I will never take it for granted. A trip to Starbucks turned into a trip to the hospital.

Everything you know can be taken from you in a blink of an eye, so appreciate it. I know it's a cliche that we all hear over and over again, but everything really does happen for a reason. I genuinely believe that we are where we are for a reason. It's easy to get upset when things don't work out the way we want them to, but sometimes, we have to look at the bigger picture.

It's also easy to think that our lives suck, that we will never be happy, that we can't do something, etc. But now, I realize that there is so much more to appreciate. Things may not always go my way, and life may suck sometimes, but that's the beauty in it. Life is beautiful and as imperfect as it is, it is perfect.