“Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift from God, which is why we call it the present” by Bil Keane. As this popular saying suggests, time is precious because it cannot be bought. And so are people around us. Because we are so used to having them around us, we often forget how lucky we are to have them.

Sometimes, I mistakenly believe that my beloved family, friends and lover will never leave no matter what. But the following selection of poems reminds me that I, or all of us, should always be grateful of those we love and not take them for granted.

Still My Sister

River Sacobie

You're still my sister,

Even if we are not blood related

Even if there's no paper or information on a computer

Saying we are.

You're still my sister,

Because it is a bond

That is rare

Special in its own way,

That took time to build,

And no matter what people say or do

You're still my sister,

Since the day we first met

It was a friendship that was just meant to be,

We were inseparable.

Through time

We have had fights,

Did things that we may not have agreed with,

But no matter what happens

you will always be my sister,

you're someone I know will always be there,

And I will always be there for you,

And if the day comes When we do go our separate ways,

You my sister,

My friend, will always be in my heart,

Because you have changed my life in so many ways,

Gave a friendship that happens very few times in someone's life,

And

I want to say thank you, and that I love you

Forever and always,

My sister.

Sisters are your biggest enemies in life, while you trust them the most. They tattle-tale your secrets to mom and steal your clothes. But they are the ones who will fight for you no matter what happens or come looking for you when you are missing. My friend Gabriella is a sister from another mother.

Most of the time, we get along together but there are days when one of us gets snobby.

One day, she slept over at my house and made a funny comment about my room. Normally I would have been cool with it, but that day, it really got on my nerves. I talked trash back at her and in no time, we got into a major fight. Finally, Gabriella walked right out of my house cussing in anger.

With my day starting with a door slammed at my face, everything went wrong. I forgot to bring my wallet to school, ripped my bag apart, and leaked ink on my shirt. By the end of the day, I was too stressed out to do anything. I really need a drink right now, I thought. So I dragged few friends to a nearby bar.

But with just a few sips, I was completely wasted. My friends were getting anxious because they did not know what to do. But like a superhero saving the day, Gabriella showed up from nowhere to take me home. Seeing her approach me, I thought I was hallucinating. She was the last person I had expected to come for me.

Without saying much, she fished me out of the bar and pushed me into a taxi. I didn’t know what to do or say after the big fight. But we didn’t have to say much to communicate. She was telling me with her eyes, ‘Tsk tsk, what can you do without me.’ Both of us could sense that we were sorry for what we said to each other earlier that day. We may fight and quarrel sometimes, but at the end of the day, she will always be my sister.

Me

We

Muhammad Ali

This is the shortest poem on Earth, yet it touches our hearts right away. “We” means so much more than just “me.”

Some time ago, I got really depressed and refused to join any of my friends whenever they invited me for dinners or events. Of course, my attitude hurt their feelings and they thought I was pushing them away because I no longer needed them.

Luckily, or maybe not, I overheard my peers’ conversation about me in the bathroom stall. One girl confessed that she didn’t feel like I was being a true friend anymore. I would never show up to any gatherings and refused any help. Even though other friends denied her comments, her words hit me hard.

That was when I realized I had been hurting others by being selfish. Life is not about living alone. It’s about sharing your life with each other. When I made efforts to care for my friends, the gloomy me quickly transformed into an energetic and lively girl. In any case, we need to appreciate the support of friends and our community, because two is better than one.

Never Take For Granted
James Casey

There are many things we seem to take for granted, 
Everyday, things like seeing and breathing.
Then again, we can be very easily supplanted, 
Upset by little things, like babies teething.

Each day, there is a dawn and yes, a sun set, 
If the clouds are over us, it may rain.
When it does, things surely will get wet, 
And until it dries, that's how it will remain.

Taking things for granted, you know is just a sin
Don't forget the thankfulness for all that we were gifted.
The things we can hate, enjoy, lose or win
Can be happy, sad, even down; but can also be uplifted.

Let's not forget when sadness leaves we start again to smile, 
Don't take for granted the time that we're allowed to care.
Or of sitting back and thinking about it a while, 
As to our world, only we can make it a joy to live there.

So don't take for granted those you love
Cherish them throughout every sunny day
And on rainy days treat them with a gentle glove
And always hold them near to your heart in every way

I always thought if I woke up from sleep, another day would naturally start. But actually that’s not always the case. Numerous people are not always granted to wake up the next day.     

This was the case for my grandma. When I was young, I would always complain to my mom about why we had to waste time to see my grandma. She seemed like a witch who would force me to finish the black-sesame porridge, which I hated, every morning. I always complained to my parents about how my teeth would turn all black because of all the black sesame I ate.

After all the complaints, I expected my parents to scold me for mocking my grandma. But what I got instead was a faint but sad smile on my dad’s face. He told me to be nice to her while I have the chance. At that time, I could not understand what my dad was talking about. But months later, I learned that my grandma had cancer and she only had a few months left. Even then, I did not fully understand what it meant.

Now that I’m older, there are sudden moments when I reminisce about her smile and her fresh cooked porridge. I constantly regret why I refused to eat her food. The black-sesame porridge that I absolutely abhorred constantly comes up in my mind.

At that time I was not able to apprehend what my grandma meant to me. I thought she was always busy scolding me for sleeping too much, or getting my clothes ruined. But now, when I open our old photo album, I see the photos of my grandma carrying me on her back, singing me lullabies, and sowing my clothes.

As this poem tells me, it’s so easy to take things for granted, as if they were sunsets and clouds. With my grandma gone and only visible in photos, I wonder how things could have been different had I learned this lesson earlier.

For Granted

Anonymous

Never did I notice
How well I slept
When you whispered sweetly
Good night my darling
Until you didn't say
It to me again