In the spring of my junior year of high school, I experienced a loss greater than I ever had before—the death of a friend.

At the time, I was the junior editor-in-chief of my school's paper, and I oversaw the production of the staff, produced articles and job-shadowed my senior editor-in-chief. I traveled a lot that year and the year before pursuing journalistic endeavors, which made my life hectic. I was constantly busy, and that often made me less of an appreciative person. If I could go back now, I would remind myself to take time out of my busy life to express gratitude.

The fragility of life is tragic, and life is too short. It is not worth living without expressing gratitude to those we love and care about when tomorrow is not promised. When my friend died, it almost felt like my group of friends and I experienced an awakening. We were reminded of his character. We remembered small details about him that otherwise, would have dissolved into our everyday lives. We each recalled moments we shared with him, reviving our memories with him as we mourned the loss of his presence.

The person we thought would accompany our group for years to come was gone so soon, and his death shocked us all. All of us healed at our own pace, but our reactions remained fairly the same. Our dear friend was gone forever and there was nothing we could do to bring him back.

So, we did all we could do. We continued to love him and allowed him to inspire us in our everyday lives. My friend's death prompted me to recognize the value of life. I promised to honor his death by living my life 100 percent so that I may never experience regret. By adopting this way of thinking, I began to put everything I had into everything I did. If I was passionate about something, I did my best to pursue it. If I failed, I knew that I did everything I could.

At 17, I didn't experience enough to make me realize the delicacy of life. His death is what helped mold the person I am today, and I know that I am not simply speaking for myself. It is easy to take life for granted, especially when you're too busy to reflect and appreciate. Be mindful and learn to appreciate life—you never know when it may come to an end.