How I Learned to Cherish Every Moment of My Life

Growing up in a family that frequently moved was difficult. Whenever we would leave for another town, I was overcome with a feeling of sadness. The most distressing aspect of each move was losing the affectionate friends I had made while needing to then adjust to a different home and find new friendships. I could not accept how fast things in life pass us by and are gone.

After we had moved time and time again, I would consequently lose contact with my close friends each and every time. Eventually, my family moved across the country from Florida to New York. I became hesitant to make new friendships since we would inevitably move once again and I would leave them behind. This brought about a point in my life where I was not appreciating the things I had because I was too busy wallowing in self-pity. But at that moment, I realized that I was allowing my mind to trouble over future problems that I had no sway over. Then I knew. I had to accept that people will not have the things we hold dear forever. Nevertheless, simply because the end of something is unavoidable, that doesn't mean you can not value and enjoy something while it endures.

This life is short, akin to a passing river. Often we cannot control what does and does not happen; however, we can control how we respond. I could have chosen to become detached from those around me and put myself in a position where I felt entirely alone and miserable, or choose to love and value what I have in the moment. I thankfully went down the latter path and came to understand that one of the greatest ways to find joy, is to discover happiness in life regardless of what I have or don’t have and always treasure the things in life that aren’t enduring. That kind of joy and appreciation is good which lasts forever. I grew and learned from these experiences so that when I am privileged to have something I love, I am overjoyed and grateful that I had it to begin with. Or, as that old cliche saying puts it, “Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.” My worldview has been transformed by this as I learned to apply this gratitude to more of the smaller things in life, so that I may cherish all I have and live each day with thankfulness.

I will soon be graduating from high school, and many of my friends will be attending other universities that are far away, yet I have learned to cherish the moment and love whatever I have now, and be grateful for the things in my life that are both beautiful and fleeting.