I have always preferred the fall as I feel most people agree. I love the Starbucks drinks, the clothes, colors, trees, and just the feeling of a nice fall evening. After fall, however, winter falls here in Pennsylvania. Our winters are hit or miss, as in they can give us 2 inches of snow or 2 feet of snow all winter. Give or take some. I love winter too. I always like the cold because I’m a naturally hot person. I’m the person in the summer that runs the A/C constantly, always swimming, and gets ice-cream every day. So, as you can tell I like the cold because I’m not all hot and gross. Now the spring is a whole other story. I don’t HATE the spring, but it’s not in my top 2 out of 4 lol. The spring is like summer’s ugly sister: always dull, rainy, dreary. However, April showers bring May flowers, right? So at least the flowers are supposed to bloom as a result.
Winter is a time of sadness in some eyes, including my own. Think about it though, all cooped up in the same dorm room every day having nothing to do after classes (for those in the dorm life anyways). If you don’t have anybody to hang out with on campus, which was my situation my freshman first semester, then it gets lonely. Some fall into a state of depression that leads to losing that person. Others are just sad and lonely, which can lead to that same state. Now, I can give our school credit for trying to get people involved. IUP has SO many organizations available to join. They host IUP Day and Winter Warm-Up for people to get familiar with and sign up for these organizations. There are counselors on campus too that anyone can feel free to talk to.
Winter is a hard time for people to be stuck in a room because you get stuck in your thoughts. I’ve spent many times bored in my room crying because I remember my grandma dying, I think about when my dog is going to die, what I’m going to do after IUP or when I am supposed to have kids between med school. It all hits you at once and for some it never ends. Some get taken too soon from their own thoughts and it breaks my heart. Luckily for me, I have a support system and I’d never let myself get to that point and I hope that I can be that person for others. In my first semester here a girl took her life due to depression. My first semester. I didn’t even know her but I cried in my room for her because she was a freshman like me. Maybe she didn’t have anybody. Maybe she was alone and felt like she’d never had anybody. Maybe if I would’ve met her at some point, I could’ve been her friend. That angel lost her life and I can’t help but wonder what I could’ve done to stop it. I know that she is gone. I know that I cannot do anything for her now. Now, however, I try harder to be there for people because you never know if you’re all they have.
Winter is a sad time of year but if we have each other then that’s all we have and that’s good enough for happiness to me.
RIP angel, even though I didn’t know you I hope you are happier now <3