It’s no secret, the past two (almost three) years have been some of the most difficult the world has ever seen. As a society, we were all forced to have a cultural reset, and the world, our practices, and lifestyles changed and were completely reinvented. Without realizing it, I went from being an unsure seventh grader to a nervous wreck of a Sophomore. Even outside of COVID-19, growing up has caused me to come to a variety of different realizations as I developed into the person I am today. I struggled with my relationships with friends and family as well as my self-esteem. Though all of them seem so minute and finite compared to the fears I hold today about the future.
What comes next?
Am I on the right path?
Where am I going to go to college?
Will I be able to get into college?
My anxiety around the dark, daunting unknown of the coming years has become enough to crush me in a single blow. It always feels as if I can never study, practice, and prepare enough. How can I secure a safe, stable future for myself?
That’s the thing…
I can’t.
This realization has forced me to learn that there are things in life you can’t control and one just needs to take things one day at a time.
Within my everyday life, small things like boba, music, and naps provide me with small pockets of joy. Somehow, I can’t even get ready in the morning without listening to music anymore. In order to start the day off on a good note, I always need to have my Spotify playlist going in the background. Some people sort their playlists based on genre or artist. But I make a new playlist every month with my favorite songs and artists at the moment. I guess you could call my playlist the music version of eating the week’s leftovers for dinner (made up of a little of everything!) Indie-pop, J/Kpop, and RnB are some of my favorite genres but really I listen to all types and genres of music (except for country… God help those who love country music.)
However, no matter how much I love music, throughout my entire life it has been the people I love that have brought me the most joy and happiness. Their support, love, and company are sometimes the only things keeping me going. I have been so lucky to grow up with family and friends that have always supported me unconditionally in everything in my life. I’ve known my best friends Jasmine, Annelise, and Kyra since the third grade and they’ve always been there for me for as long as I can remember. One of my favorite things to do with them is eating at new cafes and coffee shops, trying each of their signature drinks and breakfast items. I can guarantee that we have been to every cafe within a 15 mile radius of our city!
I am also so unbelievably thankful for my relationship with my family. I can genuinely say that my parents are my best friends and I can come to them about anything. When things get tough for me my mom is always there providing support and my dad knows exactly how to cheer me up and make the most of the situation. I also see my grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins for dinner every night. I am the oldest of three cousins by 8-14 years and I love spending time with each of them. Their company and presence in my life have such a positive influence and they allow me to take a break from the stress and worries in life.
That being said, you can’t dwell on the future and the obstacles you face because there will always be a new one the next day. Instead, focus on and find the small things that make you happy and take things one day at a time. No matter how small or “insignificant” they may seem, they should be appreciated and recognized because sometimes they can make the worst of days that much better.
(If you’re interested, here’s my smorgasbord playlist for last month! Towards the beginning of the month I was into more indie/indiepop songs but as time went on it steered more towards pop.)
Write Our World 