The Silver Lining of a Very Dark Cloud

Death, expected or unexpected, is tragic. A person, who was alive even one day ago, can suddenly cease to exist. His laugh, his voice, his character: gone. All you are left with are the memories and a set of emotions: grief, sadness, maybe even anger and regret.

Recently, I have gone through this experience. A close cousin of mine, who I thought of as an older sister, unexpectedly passed away a couple of weeks ago. As soon as I found out, this heavy coat of grief and sadness draped over my shoulders and hung over my head like my own personal rain cloud. I felt like I was suffocating. I felt like nothing would ever go back to normal, and I still feel this way sometimes.

Through her death, however, I have managed to find a silver lining. Through this experience, I learned five lessons that I believe are very important and should be shared.

Get off your phone and spend time with people! Growing up in a world where communicating has become so widespread is captivating, yet scary. Yes, you can talk with your friends on the phone all day long, but why do that when you could spend time with people in person? Being with people and experiencing their laughter, their personalities, their aura cannot be replaced by an hour long text conversation or a video chat on Skype. I learned this the hard way. Cherish the physical presence of your friends. It is so important. Put your phone down. Spend time with your loved ones. Even if it’s something small, like going out to breakfast, make memories! Give yourself something to hold on to.

Cherish your loved ones. It is very hard to understand the value of some things until they’re gone. Oftentimes, you do not think twice about the next time you will see someone. You assume you will see your family again later. You assume you will see your friends at school the next day. This is not necessarily true, there is no guarantee. Whether friends or family, cherish those you love. Our time on Earth is very limited. Appreciate everyone you have with you now. They are a big part of your life, do not take them for granted. Appreciate those you hold in your heart.

Do not hold on to anger. Anger is such a useless, futile emotion. Being angry at someone does not change anything. You will not resolve conflicts just by being angry at the person. You never know when the last time you see someone will be. Do you really want your last interaction with someone to be a negative experience? Forgive and forget. Be mature. Be strong. Ask yourself if it is really worthwhile to be mad.

Life your life to the fullest. I know, this sounds really cheesy, but don’t be afraid to take risks. Not to sound negative, but you don’t know how much time you have left here on Earth! Create lasting memories with those you love, put yourself out there. Express yourself. Make yourself vulnerable. You never know what might happen.

Things will get better! Yes, this too is a cliché saying, but I truly mean it. Even when everything feels like it is a disaster, things will get better. You will overcome whatever you’re going through. Your life is so important, and you make an impact on so many people’s lives. Life is all about growing stronger as you overcome obstacles. Don’t give up. Look forward to tomorrow.

I tell myself these things every morning. I still have a hard time believing that things will get better, but deep down, I know it’s true. This experience has taught me such valuable life lessons. I will miss her more than words. But, good things always come out of the bad. Every cloud has a silver lining.