There are always two sides to everything in life. There’s a balance in life whether we see it or not, it is always present. Not everything is filled with colors and happiness. Sometimes it is necessary to accept black and white. As we all know, the year 2020 was a year of losses and fear, but at the same time, it was a year of awareness and evolution. As a student, there was an extreme shift from going every day to campus and interacting with people, to having virtual classes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. One of the issues that I encountered was my mental health and emotional stability. When in quarantine it was hard not seeing or hugging my friends and not celebrating important milestones in my friends’ lives. As well as waking up to thousands of people getting infected and reading that lives were lost. A paranoia when going out to the grocery stores and not being able to get near anyone. Every time I came back home I disinfected my clothes and grocery bags. It was already becoming a ritual to do such action. Nonetheless, reflecting back to those months I can say it made me challenge myself. It made me more vulnerable and helped me understand someone else’s position. It made me value the little things that are actually the ones that matter most. Such as spending time with my family and being grateful for being safe and healthy.
Moreover, this year brought awareness on issues that are still very much alive and showed the world that we need to take matters into our own hands and voice our opinions. 2020 highlighted the importance of unity and the power we all possess when we come together. It affected us all in different ways, but now as I’m writing this from a 2021 point of view I’m able to deeply reflect on what 2020 offered. For starters, it gave me a state of mind to hold on to forever, which is that tomorrow isn’t promised. As much as we all like to plan for trips, future careers, and simple things such as what am I going to wear tomorrow? It is vital to living in the moment and be present. Enjoy the little things, be grateful and stay kind. Even though this year was a hard pill to swallow, it showed us the truth within our social system and our government. It showed us that environmentally we need to let our home breathe. Due to the effects of transportation and overpopulation in the most developed countries, our environment suffers and due to quarantine, it was able to partly heal. It was a hard year but I needed it. I needed to be quarantined. I needed to connect with myself and find peace within me. Everyday life especially in New York City can be overwhelming. Sometimes we need to be grounded down to earth and realize the things that are most important in life. It was a break to explore myself and reconnect, giving myself time to set my priorities and values straight. Take it day by day and be present, cherish the moments with your loved ones and once again remind yourself that mental health is extremely important in order to accept those black and white days and put your best foot forward. Life is precious and we should treat it as such, a treasure.