I've never thought much about death, but it was a subject I just couldn't avoid.

When I walked into school today, staff members kept telling students in the halls and on their way to class, that we were to go to advisory instead of first mod. That should have given me a hint.

But it didn't.

So instead of going to first mod, I went to advisory like so many other students, that I'm sure -like me- had no idea.

When I walked into advisory with my friend Mallory, I sat down in my normal seat with my normal books and I'm sure looked like everyone else -confused. That is, until Miss Peck (my advisor for all four years of High School)took her usual place at the front of the room, behind her podium.

She told us that a teacher in our school died due to Cancer last night, a teacher who was a dear friend to a lot of the staff, teachers, and students. She made it half way through before breaking down.

I didn't known the women who died.

Up until that point, I had an image of what I thought all teachers were supposed to be: Calm, level-headed, patient, able to understand teenagers, but I've always pictured them void of emotion. And seeing Miss Peck suddenly burst into tears was just so weird. Not because I haven't seen people cry before, but because I guess I never expected to see a teacher cry that way in front of her students. It made her human, and it opened up my eyes.

Death is sudden, quick, and unexpected. It's all around us and most people, the lucky ones, don't even see it. Death doesn't care who it takes, it doesn't have sympathy, it doesn't feel remorse: it just IS. There are no second chances, no turning back. Once it has you, it's over. The end.

It made me realize that life is short and long. It's forever and never at the same time. It just IS. And I've come to realize that I've been acting foolish for a very long time. I'm the lucky one. I'm still breathing. I can still feel the air in my hair, taste the sweetness of candy, hear the magic of music, and see the beauty of the earth. And so can you.

We're alive and that's the biggest gift there is.