Friendly Remembrance

Cpl. Nick Anderson may be just another star on the wall somewhere, but he was one of Sauk Prairie's finest. Nick and I were acquainted since Kindergarten, a fact that in a small town never escapes you. He was always the friendly face and a smile walking through the halls, and later always a great person to talk to just for the pleasure of conversation. My class wasn't adverse to suffering, we lost two people in the class above us and one two classes ahead of us, so we knew the pain of losing people close to us at a tragically young age, but before 2005 we avoided such painful days in our own class of 2003. That year brought us a tragic loss of Nick, a great human being with so much to give to our world. Nick enlisted and had his Humvee/armored vehicle roll over during his time in Afghanistan. Looking back I always had only the fondest memories or Nick as the always friendly face to say "hi" to in the halls, or have a few quick words with because we'd known each other for so long. It was really sad I never knew Nick better than that. I see all the facebook remembrances and it bothers me we weren't more than just really friendly acquaintances. He was just a great guy who left this world way too soon. That Summer we followed that tragedy with Andy Roelke, who died in a tragic motorcycle accident. I was playing tennis no more than two blocks from where it occurred, when it occurred. Another great person I grew up playing soccer with and exchanging friendly talks and greetings with was also gone. I attended both funerals knowing that both people meant a lot to me, even though they weren't my closest friends, they were a part of my life that I always appreciated. It's always a reminder that really good people pass through your life without you getting to know the best of them. It's sad that these great men were both gone short of their 21st birthdays, it's a real tragedy. The real moral is you don't know when it will happen to you, or the people you care about most, so always honor those lost and keep your friend's/family as close as you can. I carry memories of these great people with me always knowing that any day could be your last. Cherish your friends, even if they aren't the people you always talk to, or in your closest circle. I know I missed out on furthering my knowledge and friendship with a couple of great people and I feel we should always push to live in the present to capture as much as we can with the special people surrounding us in the now. I usually don't use this for a preaching forum, but I was really compelled on Nick's anniversary to talk about his loss and my regrets for not being a larger part of his life. It's impossible to ever go back, so it's important to learn and move forward knowing special people surround us and they should know how special they are to you.