Learning to process grief; Taking steps one at a time

EDITORIAL

Grief is something everyone deals with at one point or another. It’s never anything you can prepare for.

It's natural for people to want things to be predictable, and with grief, you can never know when it's going to hit you or if something may trigger an emotion inside you out of nowhere. Grief comes in all shapes and forms which affects everyone differently. People process things differently. Acknowledging the pain is probably one of the hardest things to do, but it's one way to try and process your grief.

According to helpguide.org, “You may experience all kinds of difficult and unexpected emotions, from shock or anger to disbelief, guilt, and profound sadness.” Things like those are very common for people to experience, so don’t feel like you are alone in your journey.

Dealing with any sadness does not only affect your mental health either. Helpguide.org says, “The pain of grief can also disrupt your physical health, making it difficult to sleep, eat, or even think straight.” It's hard to not neglect these things while your brain is constantly going back to pain. Remember to not disregard these things. Take time to take care of yourself.

According to ketteringhealth. org, there are three C’s to grief; the first C is choose. “Choose what’s best for you.” The article goes on to explain that you should do what you can for situations you can control and not focus on things that you have a loss of control on. The next C is connect. We are wired for connection, so don’t completely remove yourself from others when you're in a time that often leads to isolation. The final C is communicate. “Communicating however you can to your friends and family will help them know how [to] best [help] you.” Explaining accommodations will best help yourself and others help you.

How many times are we gonna do this? I don’t get it. Are we so bored as a generation that we have to obsess over a literal cup? It’s literally a 30 pound hunk of metal used to maintain iced liquid forwhat the company claims is - 150 hours.

Let me be clear. I’m not questioning the quality of the cup, or the product in itself. It’s a nice product. It’s double insulated with stainless steel; it’s pretty, and can maintain the beverage’s temperature for an inordinate amount of time. But, I just don’t agree with the hype. Why is it that whenever a new product gets released, every person who has it is considered trendy and less than if you don’t? I am baffled as to why everyday people have placed such an important stamp on these kinds of items.

I just cannot, for the life of me, understand why we take random products like shoes or a car and make them such a staple in our lives. If I like something, it shouldn’t matter where I got it from or who else has it. And it should be the same in this situation. This Stanley Cup phenomenon continues to illustrate teenagers’ dying need to fit in. Society will weigh their expectations and preferences down and you, but you can’t give in everytime. If you do, then you are choosing to play into the game of popularity.

And I know that I am not the only one who thinks popularity is overrated. I’ll drink out of what I want to drink out of. Whether it be a Wal-Mart tumbler or a kiddie bottle. I don’t want to drink ice cold water and steaming coffee for two days straight. And that’s just fine.

Seriously, just because Ella and Aubrey have the hottest product the day it’s released, it doesn’t make them a better friend, student, or person. You can be uniquely you. I know, you might be thinking, “It’s just a cup. Why do you care so much?” But, this cup is another example of society’s brainwashing people into fitting into the “cool” box. It starts now, and you won’t realize it until you look like every other 40-year-old “Jenny on the Block” with diabetes because your “Stanley” kept your Coke cold for 26 years. Just kidding.

Making friends online; Risks worth taking

Instead of telling your children not to talk to strangers (when they probably will anyway), it is more important to teach them how to stay safe while navigating the internet.

KIMBERLY EDGAR Entertainment Editor

“Don’t talk to strangers,” is something that almost every child is told at some point in their lives. Who’s going to tell the parents that new technology and platforms come out every day that make talking to “strangers” that much easier?

Now don’t get me wrong, it is very easy to get into a dangerous situation through talking to new people on the internet. Luckily, the very same platforms that make it easy to chat with people all over the world also make it easy to stay anonymous until you feel safe.

I personally met my two closest friends over the internet and they both live hundreds of miles away. It took me several months to reveal who I was in more detail due to the possibility of being catfished or tricked into something that was dangerous.

I have known both of them for several years now and I plan on meeting them in person very soon. There are many negative views on online friends, but sometimes the person you might be looking for is across the United States and there is nothing you can do about it.

Someone once told me that they aren’t my real friends because I have never seen them in person. My reply is always the same: “I promise you that these two people know me and love me more than a good amount of people that have met me in person.” If anything, meeting someone online forces someone to know your personality before all of the superficial things like appearance and social status. For introverts or anxiety ridden teens, having online friends opens up a social experience that was never open before. Playing games, watching movies, listening to music, hours spent talking on the phone, and spending quality time are all things you can do with friends in person and online.

Although there are obvious dangers because of how easy it is to lie over the internet, this generation is getting smarter and more advanced with technology. There is no real reason why having long distance friends is a bad thing. Long distance friends are friends. They are real people, and the bonds aren’t a lie. People all over the world go from being strangers to becoming best friends in just a few years. Why take that away? Life is full of risks, and this is one worth taking.