The Necessities of Life

 Graduation is slowly approaching, and I am sure you are excited and impatient to get out of here. Trust me, I get it. I was in your shoes six years ago and felt the same way you probably are feeling right now. But you're almost done, so keep pushing toward the finish line because you still have a few more weeks. Although this may sound super cliche, enjoy these last moments. After a few weeks, these halls will only be a memory.  Although high school has been a significantly different experience for everyone, the one thing you all have in common is that you finished and made it through. It might not have been a great experience for you, but indeed there has to be something you look back on from these past four years and smile about. Or maybe these past four years have been nothing but a living hell you suffered. The point is, this is now your time to celebrate. You made it through. No matter how difficult that path may have been, you now get to leave. You got through this chal...

Putting your mental health first is hard when others rely so much on you. You think to yourself,  My job is meaningful, and I have an essential role in ensuring things run smoothly. I am a singular puzzle piece that holds the rest together. With me, the entire image is complete. They need me.  Although this statement is true to some degree, there are other lessons life is trying to teach us.   Life is not about pretty puzzles. The image we are all trying to complete is constantly changing, and there are no directions for achieving it. The process is not linear; it's messy and chaotic because only some pieces will fit together immediately. Everything continually adjusts itself in the end. Removing yourself from the puzzle allows for new images to be completed. So no matter how often you have to remove yourself, there will always be a place you will complete.  The next time you think about taking a step back or removing yourself from a difficult situation, remind ...