The Lesson--Tiffaney

I'd say I've endured many eye opening experiences throughout my eighteen years of life. While
many of these experiences have been incredibly beautiful, bringing laughter and tears of joy to
my eyes, others have left me in great heartache, fear, and pain. Through each and every one of
these moments I've been enlightened with a very important lesson about life. Since the
beginnings of my entire existence I've been learning these valuable life lessons. I even get to
teach a few; to my younger siblings. Lessons such as “stealing is wrong”, “be patient” and “try
ketchup on your fries, because everyone likes ketchup, and if you don't try it, you'll never know if
you like it”. Yes, my little brother is terrified putting ketchup on anything. I too have been taught
these important life lessons, and I am hoping you have as well.
I've taken notice that once we learn a lesson, we usually don't need to re-learn it, because once
the second time comes around, you know better than you did before. Once a child learns that
stealing is wrong, more often than not, they will always know that stealing is wrong; however,
these morals don’t always stop children from stealing. Let's admit, we've all been that kid at the
grocery store that thought taking this one Kit Kat bar, this one and only time couldn't hurt
anybody. In conclusion, we humans seem know right from wrong, the correct paths to take in
life, yet almost unconsciously take a different route.
I'd like to share a very important lesson that I've learned throughout multiple experiences in my
life. Perhaps it's one of the most valuable lessons I've ever been taught; however, much like the
kid and with the Kit Kat bar, I've ignored and neglected this lesson every day of my life thus far.
To save you from any further suspense, the lesson is, “live each day as if it were your last,
because tomorrow is not guaranteed”. I know, what a cliché. You were probably expecting
something much more profound; however, honestly, it couldn't be more true. I've learned this
lesson through watching countless life-threatening catastrophes on T.V. I've learned this lesson
by witnessing multiple family members of mine pass away much too soon. Family whom I was
convinced would be present for the rest of my life, or at least a majority of it. With memories to
be made and words left unspoken, I am extremely regretful for not spending my last moments
with those people like they were our last. I do not truly know what my last day would look like, I
couldn't create such a day if I tried. Yet I do know, that on my last day, I would want those
unspoken words to be spoken and those memories to be made with my loved ones. I would
want to have accomplished all my dreams, be left with no worries, and to live in the present
moment.
Still, I sit here with the mindset that I always have tomorrow, as if it were promised. I willingly
give a checklist of my life goals to a tomorrow that I may not live to see.
I continue to only hope, that once my final day has approached, I will have broken this habit of
stealing Kit Kat bars.