Yesterday I stood in the security line at LAX as a moment of silence was observed for the TSA officer killed the week prior.

I’ve never heard a terminal as quiet as it was yesterday, and I hope I never hear it as quiet again for a similar reason. It was a sobering reminder that every day is precious and that tomorrow isn’t a given.

What might’ve been a stressful morning dealing with traffic or travel delays was abruptly put back into perspective when lives were turned upside down. What was perhaps a routine trip underway for the hundredth time was reset to zero with all-new rules. The first rule, of course, is that all rules may be broken at any time — which is exactly what happened when a gunman broke the ones which were in place.

It seems lacking or not full of enough emotion to take a day full of tragedy and simply turn it into a lesson and showcase it as a prime example of why we should never take a day for granted, but that’s exactly where I am netting out. We are periodically reminded of the importance of never truly resting and always keeping our guard up when the expected outcome becomes routine. Complacency requires change.

For a renewed sense of vigilance that can have an extensive impact on the well-being of our fellow man despite the time that will inevitably come again and challenge our sense of comfort, I am thankful.