Always expect the unexpected. This phrase has been thrown around in our world forever, but what does it really mean? What does the unexpected involve? How do we prepare for it? This long-time struggle for humans has been haunting us for a long time. We are all aware life is not a breeze, and we know we are going to have hardships, but how do we prepare ourselves for them when we don’t know when or what they are?

I think it’s important to remember the support systems we have when something hard and unexpected does come up. For most, a support system is people, family and friends, but for others it might be reading, writing, or an activity where they can pour out their emotions. This is something I was reminded of while participating in global school playday. During that one hour I was allowed to sit with my friends and play games, I was able to rant about things that had been bothering me and forget about the things that were causing stress in my life. This is very important when preparing for unexpected hardships. Knowing what your outlet is and what you need to do to keep yourself in order can help feel more prepared.

Another way to prepare for unexpected events is to be aware of your surroundings. Knowing where you live, what the environment and people around you are like can make it easier to navigate through hardships. Like the girl who fell from the sky, who remembered everything her father taught her about the forest and was able to survive. Being aware and involved in the environment around you can be an advantage when facing challenging times.

It is a parent’s responsibility to prepare their children for anything they may face in life after they are out of their care. Learning at a young age that everything doesn’t go your way is an unbelievable advantage when it comes to living on your own. Vasudeva, from the book Siddhartha, made this known to Siddhartha when he said, “His sorrows will not be slight. His heart is proud and hard. He will probably suffer much, make many mistakes, do much injustice and commit many sins. . . are you educating your son?” The conversation between these two men comes after Siddhartha had been failing to discipline his son. Vasudeva knew that if Siddhartha didn’t teach his son this crucial lesson, the son would go on in life and when he faced something hard, he would be unable to handle it the right way.

We can’t control what comes next in our lives, but there are ways to prepare for it. Knowing our support systems and surroundings can help us be prepared for anything. Our parents play an important role in our upbringing when they teach us the principle: not everything goes your way.