I received a letter today from a person I never thought I’d talk to again.

In fact, I thought the sender was dead. It’s easy to understand why I was lead to this conclusion – he disappeared during my senior year of high school after attempting to harm himself with a hammer.

Nevertheless, my friend from the past, who will be called Sam from this point on, discussed in his letter who he was, where he has been and a few of his future plans.

It made me question the way I interact with the people I care about.

Do they really know who I am, what I’ve been up too and where I plan to go?

Of course they do, on a broad scale.

I’m Emily Rippe, journalism major and some day I wish to start my own music magazine.

But they never hear from me daily or even weekly and are probably wondering if I’m actually OK.

It honestly never occurred to me before today that my loved ones would appreciate a letter, letting them know the who, what and where of my current state. At the very least, a weekly phone call would be sufficient.

This is my fourth year at the University, and the only people I make an effort to contact on a daily basis are the friends and acquaintances I’ve met during my quest to attain a higher education.

It’s easy to forget even the most important people when you are away at college.

Although Sam was a friend that I took only a few journeys with, he is certainly one of the people I feel I should have done more to stay in touch with.

There are other people I know who deserved more of my attention these past few years.

My childhood best friend, Rachel, first comes to mind. Back in our middle school days, the two of us used to miss the bus on a regular basis, but we liked it better that way. It meant we could talk more on the walk home. We still talk when I do take the time to visit her. She means the world to me, but our conversations are more informational and serious.

The most influential teacher I ever had was Mrs. Smardon. She was my 12th grade world history teacher, and everyone said it was impossible to receive an A in her course.

Let’s just say it wasn’t impossible, but you did have to understand Smardon’s criteria. She valued people with their own opinions, and I’m sure she would approve of this column.

However, the person I regret most not talking to daily is my baby sister, Maya. She’s five years old now, and it seems like I’ve missed out on the majority of her formative years. She looks and acts like a different person every time I see her. I was so excited to have a baby sister when I was 16 to influence and corrupt, but now it seems like I haven’t been around to do enough of that.

It’s only been a week since I came back from my last hometown visit, a month since I last saw my best friend and four years have flown by since I took the opportunity to thank my teacher for her constructive criticism and advice.

So, why am I all of a sudden becoming reminiscent and sentimental?

“The fact that I am looking at a picture of you makes me want to cry,” Sam wrote. “It’s good to see people that I have only positive memories of.”

It’s hard to know who you’ve influenced if you think they are dead.

It’s even tougher to express how much a friend, relative or mentor means when they feel like you’ve been dead.

We can all work harder to make sure the people in our lives know we are still alive and that we care about them.

So, whether it’s moving away from home for the first time to go to college, studying abroad for a semester or accepting the first job opportunity in a far off city, remember to stay in touch with those who helped improve your life.

Try not to put it off for four years because you will be surprised at how much changes while you’re off living an independent life.

All it takes is ten minutes to write a letter or one second to press the speed dial button.

I think I’ll start with writing a reply letter back to Sam.

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