As we go through our daily lives we all tend to get lost in the small intricacies of our day. While this narrow-sightedness may aid us in the short term, it could also make us forget the people in our lives who are most important. Maybe one day you forget to call your parents when you know they would love to hear your voice.

Or maybe you are so caught up in dissecting the time that you have to study, eat and socialize that you forget a high school friend’s birthday. While seemingly insignificant at the moment, things like these can add up to weakened relationships and could cause deep regret later in life.

Last Sunday’s Ravens-Patriots game gave us a powerful reminder of the need to prioritize. Torey Smith – a university alumnus and wide receiver for the Baltimore Ravens – lost his brother in the early morning hours that day. Merely twelve hours after he traveled to see his dead brother and his family, Smith stepped onto the field with his teammates to play against the Patriots.

With the heaviest of hearts, Smith turned in a tear-inducing performance, gaining 127 yards and scoring two touchdowns for the team.

Smith’s performance was nothing less than courageous. Just hours before the game, he was still unsure whether he would play; only encouragement by his mother convinced him to go. While Smith’s play on the field demonstrated strength and character that few possess, it was the message behind that play that truly stood out in my mind.

Shortly after he learned of his brother’s death, he Tweeted out the following: “I can’t believe my little brother is gone…be thankful for your loved ones and tell them you love them…this is the hardest thing ever.”

I cannot think of a truer statement. Many students in college disregard the family they have left behind at home to a certain extent. Few of us could imagine life without our loved ones, but even fewer take the time to let those people know that. It is high profile tragedies like Smith’s that make us pause. I called my family that day and I guarantee others did the same.

Now, by no means is this an admonishment to those who do not call their families. Everyone at some point loses his or her hold on what is most important in his or her lives. The week brings stresses of class and the weekends hold limitless possibilities with countless parties and other extracurricular activities. It should not have to take a football player’s brothers death to make us take stock, but it does.

I do not know Smith in the slightest, but his strength through immense pain has taught me not to take for granted the time I have with the people I care about the most. Next time you are caught up in the details of life, stop yourself. That party will be waiting for you later, but as Torey Smith knows, the ones you love may not.

So call your parents, call your brother, call your grandmother. Tell them how much they mean to you. It is the most important thing you can do.