I will be the first one to admit that as the ball dropped on New Years, I claimed 2020 as my year, but I never in a million years could have predicted the tragedy that is in occurrence. The struggle, the loss, and the distancing that has come from this pandemic feel unimaginable; every morning I wake up thinking that this whole thing is just a bad dream. I feel selfish complaining about the cancelation of my senior year while people are dying. You may feel selfish about mourning the loss of your job, senior year, or even social interaction in general, but please keep in mind, your feelings are valid.
To my fellow seniors,
None of us knew that the previous lecture we attended would be our last. We never got to give a proper goodbye to professors and mentors that have guided us through our college career. We never got to have a senior night with our clubs and extracurriculars or receive our well-earned paper plate awards. All the fest outfits we prepared went unworn. No senior shuffles and hobbling down Court Street at 2 a.m. Our last in-person shift wasted begging for it to be over, and now we wish we had more time. Most heartbreaking of all, graduation is postponed. I don’t know about you, but I have looked more forward to walking across the stage at graduation than down the aisle one day. I am sorry that your senior year was taken away; I know what you are going through because I am in your shoes, and these shoes are not comfortable.
It pains me to know I will never walk through my college building again as a student, only as an alumna. I knew all these goodbyes were bound to come, but I thought I had two months instead of them being a thing of the past. I truly don’t know if I will ever receive proper closure from the events that have occurred. These past three years have been the most grueling and stressful years of my life thus far, but they have also been the most impactful and allowed me to grow into the young woman I am today. I wish I could start this year over and do things differently. I would be more grateful for my in-person classes and professors, appreciate my co-workers more, and spend more time with the spectacular people I have met. As I sit here writing this, tears streaming down my face, I can’t decide if the pain is coming from the rapid ending to my senior year and lack of goodbyes, or because I am reminiscing on the beautiful memories OHIO has provided me. Before social distancing went into place, my life has never been more together, and now I feel as if everything is crumbling around me.
As Jennifer Robinson wrote in “Someone Great,” “ I guess sometimes things don’t break, they shatter, but when you let the light in, shattered glass will glitter.” While all our feelings are valid, even the negative ones, it is crucial to stay positive. Life is much too short to spend it complaining and regretting things we can’t change. So instead of focusing on the shattering glass and crumbling walls around you, I challenge you to think of at least one thing you are grateful for every day while in quarantine.
Today, I am grateful that I get to spend quality time in quarantine with amazing people that I met while at Ohio University. Without these people, I am sure I would go crazy alone. Since I am graduating, I do not know how many more articles I will have the privilege to write, so I hope everyone stays happy and healthy. Thank you for reading my articles over the years, or even for just reading this one. Take care and love always, Darian.
