How does one grieve when they have never experienced what they have lost?
The world is constantly moving; therefore, we are constantly in motion. Even now when life seems to be in a standstill, the world is turning round and round. The class of 2020 everywhere has been robbed of precious and unforgettable moments.
Those who felt ready to conquer the world are now feeling uncertain. We're trying to hold onto the memories that we made during our years in high school, clinging to the things we will never get to do again as seniors; walking the halls, eating lunch in a crowded cafeteria with all our best friends and laughing with our favorite teachers.
Most importantly, we're saying goodbye to the place we went five days a week, seven hours a day for four years, and to once-in-a-lifetime events like prom and graduation. With so many coming-of-age moments lost, the senior class of 2020 is left with regrets, unfulfilled dreams, and an empty glass of what-happens-now.
With so much uncertainty in the present times, it is hard to imagine the next steps we are to take. For some seniors, they had their perfect plan, they knew what they wanted and how to make it happen. For others they were following the path of life, walking the line as it was drawn. Now that the balance has been upset, and the 12 years of hard work and sacrifice all leading up to these last couple months leave many feeling empty.
I think the biggest challenge is waking up trying to have a plan but at the end of the day asking yourself, "What now?"
It has been a long journey, full of ups and downs, break-ups, and losses. Now, here we are, almost at the finish line, unsure of what's on the other side. We're scared to finally cross the threshold. But whether we're ready or not, here we come.
This virus has shaken the world, but the world will heal. The class of 2020 will keep going forward, because there is nowhere left to go.
Our time as high schoolers has ended. The time has come to pass the baton to the next class.
We paved the road for them in high school, now it is time for us to pave the road to our next destination. We're saying "see you later" to our friends as we part ways and begin our lives' next chapter.
Life keeps going whether you are ready for it or not. We cannot go back and change the past. What is done is done, all we can do is hold on the memories that were made, and the things we were able to do.
It has been to hell and back but now it is time to say "I made it," and not just for yourself, but for those who doubted you and for those lost along the way.
Right now, the only advice I can offer is to learn to adapt, expect the unexpected, and live without regret. Life is an ocean and you are a drop creating ripples. Find the beauty in the unruly waves, the poetry in the constant chaos.
Let us not allow these setbacks to keep us from what we have all been working towards these past 13 years. May we all reach heights we never thought we could. And let us all welcome the next chapter of our lives with open arms. ♦
