The Casualty

I was flickering through photo albums when I came across a photo of Sariah and me. The photo was taken two days prior to the day she passed. I miss her more and more every day. Regret and guilt started to settle within me once again as I recalled the day I had not gone to see her out of pure laziness. Who knew that she would be taken away so soon? September 10th 2014, the day after I was supposed to meet with Sariah, I received a phone call I never anticipated I would have ever received; it was from Sariah’s mother. She called to inform me about the news of her daughter’s passing. I was told that she had passed in a car accident during a trip to Al Ain with friends. She was the only casualty, everyone else got out of safe. Upon hearing the news, my stomach sunk. I was in complete and utter shock. That same night consisted of; drowning in lonesome and crying hysterically; I knew it wouldn’t bring her back, but I didn’t know what else to do.

---

As I sat on the seats at the funeral, I slowly began to come to the realization that she was gone forever, and it could be so many other people, including myself, in Sariah’s position. This realization made me aware of how much we, as human beings, take life for granted. As much as I miss Sariah every day and long for her to be here once again, her death has taught me so much about life. Her death not only taught me to appreciate the people around me, but also to live my life to the fullest. I’ve learned to take advantage of the fact that I’m alive, healthy, and well, and say yes to opportunities that come my way. She will continue to inspire me every day and motivate me to be the best version of me. She may not be here physically, but she will always be with me in spirit.