Life is Short

Colton and I were never very close.
Although I'd known him since kindergarten, we were never best friends and we didn't really hang out with the same people.
But something that Colton and I had in common was that we both loved people.
He especially loved making people laugh. If I remember correctly, he was even nominated as our class clown.
He always had a smile on his face,wanted to be everyone's friend, never once cared what people thought, was constantly trying to make you laugh and definitely marched to the beat of his own drum.
We graduated as a class with only 92 kids in 2010, and we were all very close and have continued to be close over the last 3 years.

This morning, Colton passed away from liver cancer.

Our little town, the class of 2010, and his family are now short one amazing person. And we're mourning.

I think it's always hard to understand why God decides to take those people away from us that mean so much. We never quite get how it plays into the grand scheme of things. We get mad, we cry and wish things could be different. But they can't.

And that makes us realize that life is short.
Although we've heard that saying a hundred times, we never find it to be more true than when it hits so close to home.

So we have to take the bad, and look at the good.

I can't sit here and give anyone an answer as to why Colton had to go.
My only reasoning is that God needed someone else to make him laugh in Heaven.
And as much as it hurts now, and as much as we hate crying about it, I know that there is a greater plan that we could never even begin to fathom. And we have to understand that every little thing that happens is just part of that plan, whether it be good or bad.

With life being the way it is, we need to live like Colton lived.
Happy, friendly, giving.
This world is too full of the exact opposite of those things. And now that we have one less person exhibiting the positive traits, we have to make up for it.

So live life happy.
Be so happy that your happiness is infectious to others.

Be the greatest friend of all.
Be willing to sacrifice yourself and your time for the good of your friends.

And be giving.
You can never give enough.
Your heart, and your capacity to love are greater than you think, so don't be afraid to give it all away.

Colton, we love you and we miss you and your smile.
We will never forget your kindness and generosity for your friends and family.
We aspire to live like you.

Live is too short to not live it to the fullest.

Love always,
Suz