A Celebration of Life

Every year when my birthday rolls around, I make a huge deal about it. It's something that I look forward to with great anticipation because I really love the life that I have been given and I think of my birthday as a way for me to celebrate that gift. Last year, significant events forever changed how I will celebrate life.

I still vividly remember the feeling in the pit of my stomach when I looked at Juan's empty desk right before I announced to my class that he passed. We shed shock together, and then we shed tears together.

Juan was a student with whom I really wanted to make a connection. He was a student who possessed so much potential. He was a student that I desperately wanted to reach. He was a student that was tragically taken away too soon.

Because of his grievous passing the day before my birthday, I worried that my celebration would never be the same. And, it's true. It won't. However, there is not a dark cloud over my birthday. Instead there is a bright light reminding me to always appreciate every moment that I have. Juan's life was a gift. So as I celebrate my existence, I will also celebrate his.

Juan,
You have been gone longer than I knew you, but your impact on my life is still as strong. Thank you for the lessons you taught me about life, for the humbleness you gave me in the celebration of life, and for the wisdom you gave me as a teacher.
Photo from Kira Aarestad


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