Dang, yo…
By now, I’m sure much of our senior class has already heard the unfortunate news. It caught me off guard, to say the least. In fact, I’m still shocked and super bummed out, although it still hasn’t hit me.
One of my bros once told me something that I’ll never forget; “We’re young, but that doesn’t mean we’re invincible.” That quote could not be any more relevant than it is right now. As youth, we are naturally exuberant and risk-taking. Most of us lead fast-paced lives and take life as it comes. With that, we usually don’t have time to slow things down a bit and appreciate the world around us and the wonderful lives we have been blessed with.
That’s why tragic news such as the sudden passing of a peer comes as such a surprise to us. We are primed to believe that just because we’re young, we can do anything we want with no repercussions, as if death is inevitable. I mean, you see it all over your Tumblr dashboards — “EFF IT, I’M YOUNG!” Yeah, you’re young and you only have one life to live, but lead that life wisely, and at the same time, live it up to its fullest extent, ‘cause it can be taken away in an instant. The fact of the matter is: death and tragedy don’t discriminate between age groups, but I digress.
This whole thing came right out of left field. I’d like to say that my class is a very positive one — one filled with some of the brightest minds and most hardworking people I know. As a class, we have so much potential. We’re so close to graduating, and yet, one of our own passes. Every senior at our school has a bright future ahead of them. It just doesn’t make sense to me why someone would do something like this.
Since hearing the news, I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting. It made me realize how short life is and how, in the blink of an eye, it could be gone. As scary and unfortunate as that sounds, it’s true. It’s really a reality check for me. Out of this tragedy, I’ve come to find solace. From now on, I’ll appreciate life more and count my blessings, and I think everyone reading this right now should just pause for a bit and do the same. Just think of everything you’re thankful for. We all have something to live for, whether we think so or not. There are people that love and support us, and I just wish everyone — especially those who look to taking their own lives — would realize that.
It really sucks knowing that there will be one empty seat at graduation. My hope before starting this year was that the whole senior class would be there at the ceremony walking across that stage and receiving that Diploma. Knowing that that won’t be happening is disheartening.
In short, whenever you feel that you’re in times of trouble, keep your head up and stay strong, ‘cause life is definitely worth the ride. Stay beautiful, people! PEACE.
