Death.
The loss of a loved one is never an easy topic. We all have our own ways of coping and finding the path back to normal life after a loved one has passed on. Some people cry, some people scream, some people become 'blank', some people separate themselves in sadness, and others come together. At Oldham County High School, we have had and continue to have numerous tragedies of loved ones lost. We have almost a repetitive line of tragedies in our school, and we experienced another one today at 3 a.m., losing two loved teenage souls.
At our school, we have always had a way of coming together in the memory of lost student. The whole school wears yellow, pink, or another favorite color of the student that passed away. We all comfort each other and those closest to the student. I have never had the tragic experience of losing a close friend to death. I have known three out of the four students that have died in the past years that I was in high school. I knew them, but was not friends with them. I always feel a pang in my heart for their family and friends who have to live with a person missing at the dinner table, a bed empty or an empty chair at the movie theatre during a girls night out. I always do what I can to be supportive of the people that did know the students who have passed away, but I almost feel selfish if I post a thousand "We're going to miss you. RIP" Tweets or statuses.
I don't know how to say this without it sounding heartless, which if any of you know me at all, is NOT who I am. I am one of the most emotional people you might ever come across. Sometimes it seems that we only pay attention after someone had passed away. Millions of people around the world have become familiar with the term "YOLO", and for those of you who, for some reason, may not know what that it means: it stand for You Only Live Once. I feel, we have come to abuse this term in a way that says "I'm doing something extremely stupid and I know it, but YOLO." YOLO is about being brave- not an excuse to do something stupid or dangerous. Many people seem to realize how precious life is after they've lost someone and vow to never do something so dangerous again. Unfortunately, most of the time, it seems, a few weeks after the tragedy, we are back to living they way we vowed to never live again.
We all come together and for a split second the world from where we stand seems at peace and everyone loves everyone when someone leaves this life. After a few weeks, however, we seem o lose this sense of togetherness. We return to hating our neighbors or talking behind people's back or living on the wrong side of "YOLO". This type of behavior has always been peculiar to me. And, at the risk of sounding like a "Make Love, Not War" hippie, why do we always have to dissipate back into our hateful lives?
I didn't mean to begin a sermon. I am no more perfect than anyone else in this world. I understand how and why people band together in the face of a tragedy-strength in numbers,right?- but why do we go and break the bond after time has passed?
This morning at 3 a.m. two teenagers lost their lives in a car accident. A family lost their 14 year old daughter, another family lost their 15 year old son. I didn't know the two teenagers, but I'm sure that they touched many lives and have befriended many people. I am deeply sad for the people who lost a daughter/son, niece/nephew, sister/brother, fellow cheerleader/ fellow sports team member, or a best friend. I wish them peace in their hearts and comfort in the rest of their everyday life. God Bless them. Stay Strong.
No comments:
Post a Comment