
2 minute read
A Lesson Never Forgotten
Marcelo Nunez ‘21
The feeling of emptiness and sorrow ran through my body like the winds of a hurricane, I had never felt this way before. “It’s not true, it can’t be, I don’t believe it!” is what I thought to myself as I was unable to move a muscle, frozen like a statue. He is gone, I was just with him the day before in class, watching him present his project. His smile lit up the room as usual, never failing to make me smile. I remembered the inside joke we had since our 6th grade Spanish class. I sobbed on my bed, wondering, “Why him?” God had chosen the wrong person; it was not his time. Anger filled my veins. I was a volcano ready to erupt. My pillow became a punching bag, having never felt this level of anger before in my life. Silence... school was an abandoned ghost town the next day. Pale faces and lifeless bodies roamed around the hallways. I had never heard such silence amongst so many people before. I could still picture a smile on his face. I thought to myself, “I had never seen him down or upset for the five years I’d known him.” I was infuriated because I knew I didn’t do as much as I could have for him. Anytime he saw someone having a bad day, he would be the first one to ask that person, “What’s wrong?” or “Can I help you?” He always encouraged me saying, “Everything is going to be fine” and that he would always be there for me. Unfortunately, I failed to realize that since he was always in a great mood, I never asked him how he was doing or feeling. That thought of me not doing enough to help him pains me until this day. It was a dreary, cloudy day as voices echoed through the microphone, five hundred students listening in grief. His parents and brothers were there with such heartbroken faces, they had lost such a key part of their lives. His mother’s voice cracked as she struggled to get her words out, she tried to maintain her composure. The oldest brother, with a somewhat more uplifting approach, told the crowd how his brother wouldn’t have wanted to see us like this, and he’d rather have us celebrate the life he lived with the memories we shared with him. I felt the clouds disperse, while the sun became visible for the first time that day. I felt a gust of wind lift my head and a huge gasp spread throughout the crowd, hearing whispers, “Did you feel that?” “That was him, that was him, he’s still with us!” The mood throughout the atrium changed in a matter of seconds. Inspired by the words spoken by his older brother, I decided to devote myself to using the power of empathy and kindness. I vowed to not let a day go by without asking someone how their day was going, and really listen to their answer. I can sense when a friend is feeling down. My friends always say that they feel better after I’ve reached out to them- whether it’s listening to a friend who can’t get along with her stepfather or being there to help a friend cope with her mom’s passing. I realize those small questions can change a person’s life.