December 13, 2013. A fellow classmate walked through the doors of Arapahoe High School and open fired. Gunshots blared throughout the halls, as panic struck within the students, faculty, and community. Students and faculty remained crammed in dark corners of the classroom, while family members of the community waited in fear, hoping to hold their children.

Reflecting on that moment, it didn’t feel real then, and sometimes it doesn’t feel real now.

Today has now been three years since thousands of students, faculty, and community members feared their own lives or the lives of others in which they loved. This is a day of terror. This is a day that far too many fear. But most importantly this is a day that has changed the lives of so many forever.

It changed mine.

This is a day that was filled with pain, fear, sorrow, despair, etc.

This is a day that broke us.

This is a day that took a part of us that none of us will ever get back.

We were all still kids who had to grow up to fast.

But today we are so much more than the pain, fear, and sorrow that was once caused from this horrific event.

Today we are warriors.

Strong warriors.

Warriors that will always take care of each other.

For today is a day we remember the strength we all acquired from something that broke us. This is a day where we remember how much we have healed.

In the whirlwind of what life became after the events of December 13, 2013, I came across a quote that I believe to be applicable to each of our lives today as we continue our healing process.

“For life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass it is about learning to dance in the rain.”

We cannot live our lives in fear of tomorrow. In fear of what the future holds for us. We live in a world where tragedy is present. It is occurring, and it will continue to occur. However, it is important that in these times we continue to love, and to dance. We must learn to forgive, and grow stronger against the things that we can no longer change.

As we reflect on the events of December 13, 2013 it is important to hug the people around us a little bit tighter, and love everyone a little bit larger. For this is a day that has changed us, and broke us. But this is also a day that has made us stronger. We should be proud of who we have become and how we have healed. And most importantly always choose to love.