On Monday, August 5th, I woke up a little later than usual. Something felt off since the second I opened my eyes. Not only was it 12 noon, but I just felt this heavier sadness looming overhead. I rolled over to check my phone, and what I read made me go numb.

A friend of mine had messaged me earlier that morning to inform me that our friend Garhett and his dad had both passed away in a car accident. His sister Kylie was in critical condition in the hospital, and his mother was taken along. Later on, I learned poor Kylie had passed away.

My heart sank to my feet. I knew this family well; the entire community did. Garhett was only 17. A month away from living up senior year. He had a girlfriend, plans for the future, potential. He was the sweetest boy...you could never hate him. All he lived for was laughter and generosity and friendship. Kylie was popular in high school and so kind. She had a beautiful heart and was always smiling. Both Garhett and Kylie were cherished by family, friends, teammates, coaches, and teachers. Their father was a brilliant man who loved his family to pieces and was well-loved in our small town.

These are the traits we think about when someone close to us passes away. We never fully appreciate the gravity they have on our lives until it's too late. We find that we never said the things we should've while we had the chance.

I feel guilty for never telling Garhett and Kylie just how loved they were. I'm sure they knew, just as much as they know now from our community's support, but just being able to see them and let them know would probably lift some of the weight off my shoulders. I cannot imagine how their mother, family, and close friends are feeling.

The Dawsons were on vacation. They were supposed to be enjoying the last few weeks of summer before high school and college started up again. This could've happened so differently. They were driving on Highway 109 in North Carolina when a 19-year-old High Point resident crashed into their car. He was found to be sober and got charged with driving left of center and two misdemeanor deaths by motor vehicle.

Our community has raised over $20,000 in 12 hours (and now over $31,000 in 1 day!) for the Dawsons, but no amount of money or charges will fill this void for anybody, especially Mrs. Dawson. It's truly amazing how quickly we can come together to provide support, and it comforts me knowing that so many people knew these people and just how kind and truly generous this family always was.

This tragedy is an injustice. I wish I had gotten to know them better, as cliche as it might sound. I wish I had taken the time to see them more often. They brought light into Exeter. My heart goes out to all those affected by this loss.

This goes without saying, but please remember to tell those close to you how much you love them. Enjoy every little second you can get with them. Appreciate the little things, the big things, and everything in between. You'll never know how much everything meant to you until it's too late.