I was flipping through an old notebook for blog ideas. In one of my notes, I described an automobile accident that left one person dead. The reason I put that little comment in my book was because I knew the family.

Now that several years have passed, I can see things with greater clarity. There was a wife left behind who completely changed her appearance, as well as her friends and overall lifestyle (and I am not sure if it was for the better). There were two kids left behind as well. The girl grew up without a father, and as a result, she was left searching for male attention. The boy was missing the role model he desperately needed, which led to numerous poor decisions. His mom and dad were never the same; bitter and hurting are the appropriate words. His friends and community felt a hole in their lives from all that they had lost.

In total, I would guess that the loss of this one life resulted in a complete redirection of five lives, along with having a long-term impact on another ten.

Why do I tell you this story? Because there will be days in your life where you feel like you are not significant. You may think you are not making a difference to anyone. You might feel like you are less than important, and no one would care if you were absent from their lives.

I want you to know it is simply not true.

There is a group of people close to you whose lives would be completely changed for the worse if you were not a part of it. They would be different people without you. Your life matters. Sure, it might only be to a handful of people, but to those who care about you, you are irreplaceable.