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The past two weeks have been tragic for young Hollywood actors. Brad Renfro, 25, was found dead in his Los Angeles home Jan. 15 and Heath Ledger, 28, was found dead in his New York City apartment Jan. 22, both presumably of drug overdoses. Not only am I sad for their families and friends, I’m sad for the fans and moviegoers everywhere.

I’m not sure why the lives of tremendously talented young people seem to be randomly truncated. Although death is as much a part of life as waking up and brushing your teeth in the morning, it also appears to choose the brightest stars to snuff out. Talents like Buddy Holly, James Dean, Lisa “Left Eye” Lopez, Kurt Cobain, Aaliyah, Selena, Notorious B.I.G, and Tupac Shakur are just a few stars whose lives ended before age 30. And now these two talented, and, might I add, outrageously handsome, actors will be added to the list.

But the reality is that it’s not only Hollywood that loses its shining stars prematurely. Each year many talented young people living in CU lose their lives. In November, a childhood friend of mine lost his life in a battle with drugs. For me, that loss was a reality check; this “life” thing doesn’t last forever.

In general, people take life for granted. We get so caught up in what’s going on at work, school, in our relationships and finances, that we forget life is finite.

So this week, let’s all just make it count. Tell your friends and family you love them, let go of some of that stress, and seize every opportunity to make your dreams a reality. After all, real life isn’t like a Hollywood movie. We only have one take to get it right.