As you get older, you continue to gain knowledge. Well, hopefully, at least. In the past 18 years of my life, I have learned important lessons from my experiences.
1. “On an airplane, they tell you to put your oxygen mask on first so you can be the most help.” My friend told me this last year prior to her leaving for college. This is honestly the best advice I have ever received, but also the hardest to follow. It teaches us that we have to love ourselves and take care of our needs before we can even begin to think about others. I still struggle with this so much because I go out of my way to do things for other people and never take time for myself.
2. People in your life will come and go, but the ones who matter will always stay with you. Sophomore year is one brutal year. That seems to be the year everyone changes. That year, I lost my best friend. It hurt, but we need pain to continue to grow in life. The people who are in my life now are a true blessing. My close friends in high school, my Kairos leaders, and other students have taught me valuable lessons.
3. Make time for your family because your parents won’t be here forever. This is another one I struggle with. My mom loves to ask 20 questions about everything I do. I get annoyed with her inquisitive personality, but at the end of the day, I love her. No matter what family does, we still love each other.
4. We don’t know anyone’s story. You see me in the hallway and see many different things at surface level. For example, I play softball, I’m sarcastic, and I am a faith-filled person. The thing people wouldn’t see is constant self-struggle, mostly with confidence issues. One thing I have learned is to surround myself with people who are positive. Regan Shey loves to send me positive YouTube videos and songs. I send her back poems and quotes. When Regan does this, it brightens my day without fail.
5. Faith is the most important thing in your life. This is an ongoing lesson. A woman saw my Jerusalem cross while I was working and she said, “Stay with your faith, because one day it will be all you have.” I think this is the truest statement. Even though faith is an ongoing journey, one day it may be all I have left.
Thank you to all the people in my life who have taught me so many valuable lessons. I hope to continue to utilize these lessons and learn many more along this little journey called life.