“Your life was a blessing your memory a treasure, you are loved beyond words and missed beyond measure.”
As I reflect on these past few months, I never thought the dreaded word, “death” would hit me so closely. While we might not have been biological sisters, we were sorority sisters. We were best friends and just like that she was gone. In the blink of an eye, everything that I had known to be normal my sophomore year of college had changed. My life seemed to have become a nightmare, which was a reality.
While they were not easy, these past few months have taught me countless lessons. Every second that you spend with someone is valuable and should be cherished. You never know when it might be the last time you get to say “goodbye” to that person.
As the newest Tim McGraw song states, "Always stay humble and kind." You never know what another person is experiencing in their life and the simplest gesture could go a long way.
People care. People you might not have ever had a conversation with care about you. You are loved by so many people, more than you could ever imagine. Even your instructors genuinely care. The week I lost my sorority sister, I went into an instructor’s office to explain the situation I was faced with. We ended up sitting in her office, crying together.
My campus held a memorial for the passing of my sorority sister, and the room it was held in was full of Greek men and women, all representing different sororities and fraternities. While Greek life is often viewed negatively, this past semester would have been 100 times more difficult without my sorority by my side. From the numerous cards I received, to always having someone to cry with when I was feeling down, Greek life has had a huge impact on my life.
A melody really can sound like a memory. It is crazy how many memories the lyrics of a song can bring back. It doesn’t matter where you are, or even what time it is, when that song comes on you are taken to a different place.
It is okay to not be okay. Yeah, we might be afraid to cry in public, but sometimes it just happens. Crying can actually help you feel better. If you need somebody to talk to, find somebody to talk to. People care about you and are willing to listen, and if you don’t have anybody in your life that you are comfortable talking to, go to a counselor. Counselors are genuine, caring people. They’re really not that scary and they can be very helpful and life impacting.
Even though you might be young, always remember that life is unpredictable, and you never know how long you have to spend with someone. In the blink of an eye, everything can change. Never take life for granted. While losing a loved one can be very difficult, cherish the good times, the memories that were made and always remember that you have a guardian angel who will always be watching down on you.
Rest in Peace, Haily Hayes (9/9/1996-1/17/2016)
