Choices

My cousin passed away a few weeks ago, and she's been on my mind. She was young, beautiful and had her whole life ahead of her. But it was taken from her because of one stupid choice.

I've been thinking about choices and what they mean in our lives.
We are faced with choices everyday of our lives. Some are easy. Some are hard. Some seem easy on the surface, but turn out to be life changing.
We make choices everywhere- where we go, what we do. Each time we drive a car we make countless choices. Do we run that red light, ignore that stop sign or cut off that driver? Any one of these choices could end our lives.
I shudder to think of all the bad choices I made as a young person; so many things that could have brought me great harm, but for some reason, didn't.

I thought about calling her a few months ago, but worried about what I'd say and how it would be perceived. We weren't too close lately. Our differences in age and place in life separated us in the way it seems to for too many people. I prayed for her. She was on my mind a lot. But I didn't call. And however unintentional, that was my choice.

Her death was a total shock. I still can't really believe it. And I think at least in part because of it, I'm realizing that there are some things in life that are too important to worry about what people will think of you. Some things are much bigger than your fear of embarrassment, or your pride, or your desire to be liked. Some things just need to be said.

So here, for my little cousin, this is what I wish I would have told you.