ANDY ARGUIN

I’m writing this because of the death of my friend and classmate Kyle Block. I didn’t know him as well as his close friends and family did, and to talk about him in any detail feels like a kind of grandstanding. I’ll simply say that his passing deprived the University of Saskatchewan of a promising student, talented hockey player and wonderful person.

Nothing is promised to us, including the time we have to spend on earth. We count on having 80 years, give or take, to live a full and complete life. It’s easy to take this ample time for granted, but it’s not a given.

The value of our lives is dependent on the impact we have on the people who surround us every day: colleagues, friends and family. Our conduct impacts a great number of people, even if in seemingly insignificant ways. Each person has the ability to influence and affect many people’s lives. We may not think of it every day, or even at all, but it’s an undeniable aspect of each and every one of our lives.

I think that it’s important to keep this in mind as we conduct ourselves every day.

We need to think about our attitudes and behavior, and appreciate our ability to make lasting impressions on each other’s lives. Just as importantly, we need to recognize the impact that our friends and family have on us. Our relationships form a large portion of our makeup, and nobody is a self-made person in the sense that nobody can develop fully without the presence of other people.

I say the following with the utmost sincerity: recognize a person in your life who has been important in your formation and express to them your gratitude for the impression they have made on your life.

We often take both our lives and the people in our lives for granted, but it’s important to be appreciative of the people who help define us. There’s no shame in talking to them about it, making them aware of their importance. Let somebody know how important they are to you, because they should be conscious of it and may need a reminder. It’s certain that we can make an impact on each other’s lives, but how much time we have to do so is anything but.