We Are All on Our Way

With the holidays officially in full swing, I can tell you that there is nothing I love more than spending time with my family and friends. Whether it be sipping on hot chocolate by the fireplace, playing a competitive game of cards, yelling at the football game on TV, or just sitting around telling stories, it’s the most wonderful time of the year for my family and I. The holidays as a college student is even better. I can give myself a snow day if wanted, go home when I want to, and my Christmas break is almost a whole month long! But in order to get to that month long Christmas break, I have to get through FINALS.

While in the midst of (trying to) study for finals, getting into the Christmas spirit, (trying to) catch up on sleep, figuring out how I’m buying everyone presents with only $57 to my name, and every other struggle the typical college student has this time of the year, I realized just how badly I wished my dad was here to help me out a little and see everything that I am doing.

In March of my freshman year, my dad passed away from Neuroendocrine Carcinoid Cancer. He taught me so much about life in the short 14 years I was able to be with him, but still to this day, I long for his embrace, wise words, and corny jokes as if the 14 years I had just wasn’t quite enough.

Honestly, for me, my first semester of college has been one of the biggest struggles I have ever faced. Every class I had to sit through seemed to just drag on. I just didn’t want to be there. But the last thing I wanted to do was disappoint my mom and dad. I simply was just struggling with myself and life in general. Despite the depression that I had fallen back into, I continued trying to keep my spirits up and just get through the semester. I was just losing. Losing my confidence, my drive, my passion, my happiness, and myself. Things I have worked so hard to gain back after I lost my dad. I was losing all of my progress simply because I thoroughly just missed my dad. I had officially given up.

Everyone we know has lost someone or something in their life. It’s not easy and it never will be. But last week, I was reading some blogs that I follow and I read this, “It’s okay if you feel like you’ve let yourself and the people you love down a lot of times already. One day, after all the trials and errors and breakdowns, you’ll finally make it. And you’ll see that the people who love you never lost their faith in you… I am asking you to not give up. Your heart may feel heavy and your mind may have thousands of thoughts inside, but you have to keep going. You have to, no matter how scary and much of a struggle it may be… So if there are times that you feel like you’re about to just turn around and give it all up, remember this: You are not a failure. You are on your way. You are on your way.”

That’s when it hit me. We are all on our way. On our way to something spectacular. I had been having a rough few months and struggling with a lot of things but I’m on my way. We all go through some really tough things in life, and we all feel like giving up at some point in life. But we have to keep going. We really have no choice. Roadblocks are inevitable, but what matters is how we get around them. We’re going to feel like a failure sometimes, it’s going to seem like we’re not getting anything done that we need to, and that’s okay. It’s all a part of our journey. Our paths may be rough, long, and twisted but in the end, we’re all going to make it, we’re all just on our way. Despite the trials and tribulations that face us on that path, we will all make it in the end.

With the holidays upon us, I encourage you to hug your family a little tighter and take in the love that comes with this season. It’s truly something amazing. Cherish every moment you have with those loved ones because even when people don’t live forever, memories do. Confide in your loved ones and give everyone all that you can, you never know when it’s going to be your last time. Use these next few weeks to tell those you love that you love them, go see that friend you haven’t seen in a while, bake with your mom, talk to your siblings, watch Christmas movies with your family, and just take in the joy, love, and happiness this holiday season brings. Because I know I would give anything to have just one more Christmas with my dad.

And when something goes wrong, remember to take a step back and realize that everyone is battling something. And I promise you that whatever demons you are fighting, you will win, do some amazing things in your life, and in the end, you will make it, because we are all on our way.

Scott Shook

April 22^nd 1970 - March 6^th 2013

Zoie Shook

Southwest State Vice-President