Laura+A.

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Although many of us won’t admit it, we all know life can hurt. Some handle our emotions better than others. Whether it’s a broken heart, a backstabbing friend or even the typical everyday problems, we all have a weight we carry with us. Things happen and some days go better than others. We have to remember to push through the hardships and never let pain get to us; no matter how much it might hurt. We've all got problems, but so what? Things will go wrong and some days might end up a mess. We can find comfort in those around us. No matter how low your life may sink, once you've hit rock bottom remember there's one place left to go; up. I believe life isn't about dreading things and living in the past, but rather about being happy and helping others find happiness.

Through our experiences we can gain many valuable life lessons. I remember leaving school in seventh grade with my friends Jenna and Becca. Becca had been suffering from anorexia, and would be going to rehab for about year. Jenna and I were a year younger than Becca, who was about 2 inches taller then both of us. Yet Becca had weighed 5-10 pounds less then either of us. Walking down the hall I heard the comments being made about Becca. People stared rudely at her and said things I would have never imagined. I remember the hurt look on Becca's face as she walked through that hallway but the look on her face was gone as quick as it'd come. She kept herself together and once we'd made it outside, she burst into tears. Seeing her break down showed me how important being there for someone can be. I can remember telling her how it would all get better, telling her a funny story about how school didn’t matter and that she shouldn’t pay attention to the rumors going around. I remember just how to make her feel better, and the importance of being there for her no matter what.

The summer before my freshman year, I got to experience the sight of love and happiness from a distance. Sitting in my car in a stormy night, I looked out the window in one of those moments where your body can physically be there while your mind can be miles away. As I dazed about high school and the future, a girl outside brought my attention back to the moment and place I was in. The tears she'd been shedding were replaced by a wide smile and laughter so enchanting it seemed to cover the entire parking lot. A boy appearing to be her boyfriend kissed her right in the middle of the storm handing her a small jewelry box that appeared to contain something like a necklace or a bracelet. The moment made me forget everything in my life for just a moment. Seeing how he'd gone out of his way to show his love and make her day a little bit better, made me envy the couple instead of feeling sorry for them. That moment made me realize that no matter where you are, if you're with someone you love it can always be the happiest place in the world.

We've all experienced pain in some way or another, but along with pain we've discovered something beautiful and enchanting about life. I’ve come to realize that sure life sucks, but so what? You just have to take the good and bad and learn from it. Always remember life is about the journey not the destination. Appreciate the people around you,and make sure they know what they mean to you. I believe in many things, but mostly I believe that life is only as bad as you let it be. It can be the worst day under all the wrong circumstances but as long as you find the good in life, happiness will find its way to you, this I believe.