We Shouldn't Let Tragedy Be Our Teacher!

Dear All,

This was originally a letter I wrote to students that I edited for the 18th anniversary of 9.11.01 and I felt compelled to share.

Dear All,

I hope that you realize that no matter what troubles you endure, every day is a gift. One of my former mentors once told me, “When you think you have it bad, just know that somewhere in the world, somebody has it worse.” It shouldn’t be tragedy that reminds us of how lucky we truly are. It shouldn’t be tragedy that makes us appreciate the little things. Too often however, it is a tragedy that prompts us to change our thinking. However, as time moves on we tend to revert to our old way of thinking. Too often (myself included) we get caught up in being so busy that we forget to love life. We tend to focus on our hardships, schedules, and inconveniences all the while forgetting to be grateful for all we truly have. We tend to focus on the things we don’t have, instead of loving and appreciating the things we do. In addition, and more importantly, we forget to appreciate the relationships of those people who are so important to us. We think there will always be time to say thank you or I love you.

I challenge you each day to:

• Tell your parents/guardians//children you love them
• Tell someone who has made impact on your life: Thank you!
• Believe you have what it takes to make a difference in the
world
• Be kind to people outside your circle
• Embrace the things you have and work hard for the things
you don’t
• Appreciate every day; even the bad ones
• Motivate and inspire others
• Live with love and love life

May God Bless the fallen, their families, our country, and all of you! 

Sincerely,

Cory Radisch