Yesterday, I was in one of my roommate’s rooms, doing what we usually do after practice and class, just sitting and talking. As we talked, I couldn’t help but notice the beautiful pictures covering her bedroom wall, filled with sweet friendships and smiling faces. While we were looking at them together, one photo stood out. It was a picture of the three of us. Jenessa, Aspen, and I. It was the last photo we took together before leaving for summer break.
In that moment, Aspen looked at me and said, “Those girls had no idea what was coming,” referring to what sophomore year of college has held for each of us. Coming back to college in the fall has made this one of the hardest semesters I think any of us has ever faced—dealing with unimaginable loss, heartbreak, grief, and sadness. We’ve been navigating how to love each other well while each of us carries something really heavy.
After Aspen’s comment on the photo, I looked up at her, trying to find the words to encourage her while also holding space for the sadness. We were mourning the life that once felt so easy and simple. In that moment, I looked at her and responded, “Someday, we’re going to look at that photo and feel content. We’ll know we’re stronger because of what we’ve been through”.
Even as I said it, my heart felt heavy. Part of me wished I could step back into that picture and warn each girl of what was ahead. But another part of me knows that growth often comes through what we could never prepare for.
Change is hard. No one prepares you for losing someone, or for how to walk alongside the people you love when they’re hurting. And yet, this is the world we live in. A world that is temporary, fragile, and often very painful.
If this is you right now, hold fast, knowing you're not alone! The reality is that we all have gone through or will go through something like this.
The only way I know to encourage is to reference what has comforted me while I was deeply sad.
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2 Corinthians 1: 3-11 & 2 Corinthians 4: 7-18
