Last Wednesday was a sad anniversary for all Americans. The flag flew at half-mast to recognize the near 3,000 Americans who lost their lives, the families who lost loved ones and the fall of the twin towers.

Once a year the nation remembers the planes colliding into the towers, the scattering of people running for their lives and the 590 cubic yards of debris layering the streets for miles. September 11, 2001 is a tragic memory in the back of every American’s mind.

A day like that makes me stop and take a step back to look at what a wonderful life I’m blessed with. Telling my friends and family how much I love them and how much they mean to me is very important.

9/11 isn’t what made me realize how important expressing my love to the people I love is, but that tragic day is definitely a major reason. I could’ve been one of the children with a mom or dad working at the World Trade Center that day… It’s scary to think about.

What if something so tragic like 9/11 happened again? What if an emergency situation happened at school one day? These events in life are completely unexpected.

That’s why I think it’s so critical to tell loved ones how much I care about them. Even if I’m in an argument with my friend and they’re in the wrong, I’ll let it go to show them that our friendship means more to me than winning an argument.

I don’t want the last words I say to someone to be negative. Life can be scary to think about, but in reality we don’t know when a heart-crushing tragedy will happen to us.

Eureka lost two of their own a month ago in a tragic accident, Aug. 15.

I may not have known the Oliver sisters well, but I do know Anna Oliver (9). All my thoughts and prayers go out to her and her family.

The car accident that took  the Oliver sisters affected the entire Eureka community and beyond. It was as if a giant, black rain cloud loomed over the high school that day.

I’ve never seen so much love from a community.

The T-shirts that read “This one’s for you,” the memorial in front of the school, Aug. 16, Kathleen’s parking space and the sign made out of purple and yellow cups reading “Eureka Strong” on the bridge over 109… all showed how much the girls mean to all of us.

You never know what’s going to happen in life.

So before I leave the house in the morning for school, I tell my parents I love them. I tell my brother that I love him. I make sure that they know how much I care. If the morning before school was the last time I’d ever see my family again, I would be comforted by the fact that the last thing I said to them was “I love you.”