9/11

Coincidence, to me, is the most frightening concept. Anything can happen 'by coincidence', I'm a big believer in fate. I know you're rolling your eyes. I think everything happens for a reason. We meet people to teach us about ourselves. Nothing is regrettable, simply a lesson. We fall in love to help us see ourselves at our most vulnerable. We make friends to make experiences. We work our fingers to the bone to fund the path we're trying to make. We move from job to job and we meet people along the way that can change our life for the better or for the worse. We love and we hate.
How many people that day do you think had argued the night before? How many people do you think hadn't spoken to a family member for months and months over one stupid, bitter argument? How many, do you think, had forgotten to tell their partner how much they loved them before they left work? How many people do you think were affected that day?
Most of us take our lives for granted. We think, this, the coffee cup I'm drinking from, the laptop I'm typing on, the texts I'm typing on the phone next to me to the people I genuinely love and care about, we think it's all there forever. We don't assume for one second that it could be snatched away from us at any moment. I'm also almost certain that most people that day didn't expect the rug to be pulled from underneath them either. We simply muffle the noise of the world. Wrap ourselves up in bubble wrap and blankets, hide ourselves from the ugly truth.
There must be so many people out there that blame themselves for that day, something they could have said, something they could have done. The people that were late to work that day because they missed the bus or they slept through their alarm. People that will always say 'It should have been me.' but it wasn't because that wasn't meant to be their point of exit, their time to go. It's horrible but it's true. I'm sure one of those people that didn't die that day were someone that completely took their life for granted and the reason he/she didn't die that day was to teach him or her a lesson. You have to love the people around you. Don't expect anyone to be there forever. Make sure everyone you care about, knows you care.
Distance and loss teaches you a lot about the people you surround yourself with. When I moved away I found that many people who I thought were my friends, weren't. I learnt that many people only want you when it suits them, or they only need you when they need something. You have to open your eyes and realise the people that are important are the ones that know when you're not okay. The ones that make an effort. The ones that are interested in getting to know you. The ones that are happy when you are happy and are saddened by your suffering. Those are the people to look out for. The ones that will teach you about yourself, the ones that will carry you forward.
How many people do you think on that day claimed they were terribly upset by the loss of someone they were 'so close to' when actually they'd had nothing to do with them for months on end? The reason they were terribly upset was because they realised that they'd never have a chance to see or speak to that person again. To talk, to laugh, to hug.
We are all so clumsy and forgetful that we don't see the bigger picture? Does it really matter if you're a minute later to work because you were having one last minute extra in bed with your loved one? You're never going to say if you're hit by a car on the way to work "Oh well at least I was on time."

What I'm trying to say is open your eyes. Don't be arrogant. Don't expect people to always be there. Make the effort. Be the good person. Apologise. Make ammends. Don't hold grudges. Love.
It could all be taken away too quickly.

Rest in peace and may all those affected find peace. Xo