It was a lesson George Bailey had to learn the hard way.  

Unfortunately, it's a lesson, we often have to learn as well.   

This week, I was rattled by the news that an old high school friend, Tony, died unexpectedly.    

The news came about a week after another high school friend, Ana, also passed away.

They were both about my age and graduated from high school my same year.  

I hadn't seen either in almost 40 years, which is really hard to believe, but we reconnected through social media in recent years.

Still, their sudden demise made me reflect on how God uses people to touch our lives, regardless of how brief their time in our lives may be.   

I remember the first time I met Tony, through another friend our sophomore year (which was our first year in high school since junior high was 7th through 9th grades back then).  We were at a baseball party for my younger brother's team at our mutual friend Gus's house.  Gus' brother played with my brother. Tony and Gus were old friends.   

After several beers (yes, I was about 16 at the time), they asked if I wanted to go out with them and we left in Gus's van.  After picking up a couple of other guys and getting more beers, we drove to a roller-skating rink in Hialeah.  

We never went in.  We were having a great time hanging out in the parking lot.

At some point, we did try to go in but there were a few guys from another group that took exception and before, we knew it, a fight broke out.    

I remember being next to one of our guys and being surrounded by several from their group. Things got bit blurry for me from there.  It was like a scene from That 70's Show where everything appeared in slow motion and then I went blank.   

The next thing I recall was waking up in the van as we were driving away. Tony and the guys were laughing and recounting what happened.  It turns out some of the other guys were members of a Carol City gang.  As I came to, they started ribbing me about finding me passed out on the hood of a car.  They said they had to carry me into the van.  Needless to say, they all cracked up on my account and I couldn't help but join them in laughing.      

We became good friends after that.  I won't bore you with the details of other misadventures, including another night at a roller rink in Broward County, when a couple of friends that were with us got arrested, or the first day of school our senior year, when we had a tailgate party (sans the food) before the first bell rang, but I will say that I truly loved hanging out with Tony and always admired him.   

Many years later, we reconnected on social media.  We both shared a passion for our sons, who played baseball.  He posted spectacular photos that he would take and would often comment and like my photos and videos. I looked forward to those acknowledgements from Tony.      

Well, as Harry tells Sally in the movie, When Harry Met Sally, "Guys and girls can never be friends." Her contagious smile, beauty and charm got the best of me.  I fell head over heels.  After several weeks of vacillating, I finally mustered up the courage to ask her to go steady with me.  She was the first girl I ever asked (It was 1978.  I remember because Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive," was constantly on the radio.  I still remember the words of the song!). 

Ana told me she had to think about it.  In hindsight, she had just broken up with my best friend! What was I thinking?  I think that telling me she was going to think about it was her way of letting me down easy.  She turned me down the next day.  My heart took its first big hit. 

She eventually got back with my best friend in high school, and I believe they dated for all three years.  

As for our relationship, although it was never the same after that (I'm sure she didn't want to lead me on), Ana was always my biggest cheerleader.  She was interested in how I was doing, who I was dating, and what was going on in my life.  She would offer advice and encouraged me on everything from love to baseball.  

Over the years, she would comment on my posts regularly.  She was positive and sincere.  We shared a love of family, she had a teenage daughter, and faith. Until one day she stopped commenting, without me even noticing, and then she was gone.

During the past few days, I've felt a sense of melancholy.  I never got a chance to tell them how much they meant to me.   

Clarence said it well in It's a Wonderful Life, their loss leaves an awful hole.  I regret not making more of an effort to be their friend after high school.  And that may be the lesson to be learned.  

There's an old Latin phrase, Momento Mori, that translates to "remember death."  It's a reminder that we are only here for a short time, and our judgement day will come before we know it.  We need to live each day like it's our last and make more time for the people who have touched our lives, regardless of how long ago. 

At the end of It's a Wonderful Life, Clarence writes a dedication on a book for George Bailey that states, "Remember, no man is a failure who has friends."     

Farewell, my good friends.  I am a better man for knowing you both and I will always cherish our memories.  May God bless your souls eternally and may we meet again someday.