I'm not exactly very close to this college friend, but no doubt, there have been times when we chatted and shared a few laughs. She was a young, promising, freshly graduated dentist who was on to doing so many great things. She was the first female aboriginal dentist in Western Australia. She is someone who had a great impact in the community and an inspiration to many.. To me, she was an example of hope and perseverance. She was always with a smile whenever i see her in college.

The impact that she had on others, knowingly or unknowingly, had been great. When i went to view her Facebook account, i saw numerous posts on her wall from family and friends who poured out their grief and condolences there. Reading each one of them, i could feel the impact that she had on each person. I could feel their grief..

She was only 28. Only 28 years old.. and in one split second of a moment, she was gone just like that. I couldn't help but cry when the news finally sank into my mind. It seemed like she had her future planned out, she knew what she wanted to do. She was supposed to officially graduate this coming week. On her Facebook wall, i saw that her niece was looking forward to her arrival, they had planned to do so many things together.. Her family and friends was looking forward to seeing her again. But who would have known? Who could have known?

The news of her passing has affected me quite a bit. It was like a big reality slap in my face. It made me realize exactly how fragile life is. That in just one second, things can change. That any moment, if we are not observant enough, careful enough or if we did not take notice or happen to look away for awhile.. someone whom we love and respect could be gone just like that. It honestly scares me a lot to think about it. That anyone whom i love could be gone the next moment. It makes me feel sick in the stomach to even think about such possibility.

It also made me realise that we can have so many plans. But sometimes, for some things, why do we plan to wait for another day? There are times when we tell ourselves, 'it's okay, I can tell him/her/them tomorrow..' but how many tomorrows can we be sure of?

This makes me think about my family and my friends. It makes me realise how things are out of my control sometimes. It such a helpless feeling. It makes me feel so vulnerable.. It makes me miss my friends back in Perth so very much, because I am so far away from them. It makes me wish that I am back there in Perth with them during this time of grieving..

The passing of Chantel has made me seen the importance of time, how we value it and how we value those who are important to us. Every second, every minute, once it's gone, it's never coming back. We have to cherish those who are important to us. Because when they are gone, no matter how much we wish to have another minute or second with them, we're not going to have that luxury of having a second back..