time cut short: finding the good in the unknown
- maryjane (mj) viado
- Mar 29, 2020
- 4 min read
So many events have occurred in the short space of one week. One of many being that the education system has been put to a hold for now until further notice or at least that's as far as society knows. We can only think that protecting and saving each other from the pandemic is the purpose we have right now.
I feel especially for: Year 13 students (like myself) due to take their A Level exams, Year 11 students due to complete their GCSEs and Third Year university students waiting to graduate this summer.
These individuals in particular have worked so hard over the past two to three years in order for them to accomplish the overall qualification and essential factor as to why they've been in education for this long into their young lives.
From my perspective, every single part of this does feel draining. We've been told and trained to work to the best of our abilities in order for us to actually reach our potentials and zenith of our educational careers. It's sad to say with no sense of warning or precaution did this opportunity for us to display to everyone what we've worked for all this time, was taken away. Just. Like That.
Knowing that you put in so much effort and energy and dedication through the cries, the sleepless nights, coffee runs and the never-ending need for a hug at the end of the day because 'Year 13 was out to kill us', now feels like it was such a waste.
To many this may sound like an over-exaggeration, but as I've always said, you can never truly understand something if you've never gone through it yourself. In this case, knowing the people in my year group, the moment that we found out that our exams were 'cancelled', I am so sure that we went through so much distress and anxiety all in the span of an evening to the rest of the week ahead. It's never really something that you'd expect happening to you at such a young age in the type of world we live in. Even now does it not make any sense at all.
It's just all so confusing and frustrating.
But we ought to remember why this is all happening in the first place: saving lives is the priority and our health comes first before anything else.
I guess it just makes us realise how deeply invested we were in building up the lives we thought we had planned out completely. Instead we got way too ahead of ourselves that we lost track of time in actually living life as young people and noticing the things in the world around us.
Another reason for all the upset and sadness is the fact that everyone had to say the words 'bye' and 'good luck' at a time that we hadn't even expect to happen so soon - way too soon. It was all so fast, abrupt and premature. Definitely something we were not prepared for.
There were tears that day. This was because of the nervousness over the drastic decision that we had no authority over, but also the idea that we weren't going to be together as a family in that type of formality ever again. Okay, call me cliche at this point whilst you're reading this, but we really were so close that it's a given to be calling everyone family.
I woke up every morning and got into sixth form with a smile on my face because everyone around me gave that sense of motivation because of the positive energy, the determination, the perseverance and the fact that we were all going to leave and achieve something so good, together as a collective. It was never perfect, but I can only appreciate the love that was there at all times.
It's a hard thought that we didn't get to accomplish the goal that we all said and agreed we would together at the very start of the year.
I'm just blessed, glad and grateful that I've got these individuals for a lifetime ahead.
This 100% shows that everything does happen for a reason.
I am a spiritual person at heart, so I strongly believe that He does have a plan for each of us - we just need to experience and learn the hard way first to be stabilised enough to reach the final intention that He's set in place.
These exams weren't the only hardship that we thought we'd go through or at least now we clock on that we are more than capable of going through something even more difficult ; we've just got to keep working together on this crisis alongside being left in the unknown for a little bit longer.
To anyone still feeling anxious or confused or lost towards this situation, always think to yourself:
"don't cry because its over. smile because it happened." ~ Dr Seuss
~We have accomplished something: the friends, relationships, and actually receiving the opportunity of secondary education.
~We are still yet to accomplish even more with the lives that we've been given.
We just need to continue hoping, praying and working to make it all happen.
I send my heart out to every student affected by this, you have made it so far, keep going because your potential is amazing and special.
x
29|03|2020
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