Tuesday brought somber news as we all checked our phones and learned that Stan Lee had passed away. I took the news particularly hard. Stan Lee was one of my heroes, and now he joins the rank of all the other wonderful inspirations we have lost: Carrie Fisher, David Bowie, Alan Rickman. But grief has its own superpower: reflection. Reflecting on the loss of another hero, I am reminded that our days are numbered, and the days of the heroes around us are, too. This had led me to two conclusions.

First, that I need to appreciate and respect those around me, especially those people who are my own personal superheroes. My mom, the friends that make me laugh, the professors that inspire me. They, like Stan Lee's creations, all have superpowers and limitations. As much as I would love to be an X-men or an alien or a demigod, we are all human.

My mom's superpower is patience.

Her limitation is that it doesn't apply to b.s. or excuses. And coffee. Lack of coffee is her super-villain. There are friends that can always make me laugh but live time-zones away, or have crazy busy schedules, or don't have a Snapchat. And those imitations deserve respect. And those superpowers deserve some heartfelt "Thank You's."

Second, I don't have much time left to inspire people. Stan Lee began his career in comics when he was only 17.

I'm still struggling to decide how I'm going to inspire people.

My dreams can't wait until they are convenient to have. I can't keep deferring what I know I'm meant to do so I can make time for another resume booster. If you want to do something, you need to do it, because before you know it, you're gone. Life starts now.