Snow Day

When I first watched the video and read the assignment, I immediately thought of my friend Javier. When I first moved to Bolingbrook my freshman year of high school, Javier was one of the first people I met. Throughout high school we became closer and closer, and Javi was always one of the people I would ask advice from. He always seemed to be very down to earth and he knew the answers to everything. My senior year of high school, not even one month into the school year, Javier passed away. When someone close to you is torn from your life with no warning, getting over it is a long process, a process I'm still in. I spent months crying over Javi, until my best friends mom sat down with me and helped me let go. She told me to think of the person he was, and how he would never want us to be crying over him, he would want us to be celebrating his life. I never understood that concept, celebrating his life. I could never imagine celebrating and being happy without him there with us. She then reminded me of the times I would go to Javi for advice, and he would always tell me "just let it go, Anna, you're not going to get anywhere holding on to this bullshit." After she repeated his advice to me, she told me about something she strongly believes. When someone is put to rest, crying and crying over them does not let them rest. A spirit will not rest until his loved ones are happy, and not worrying anymore. The combined pieces of advice gave me the strength that I needed to say goodbye to Javi, and to let go. If I would've never had that conversation with my best friends mom, if I never would've let go of my friend, I would not be in college today. I would be curled in a ball in my bed, and I would remain in my bed until I was reunited with him. To this day, there is not a single day that passes where I don't miss Javi and wish he was with me. I don't see a day in the future where Javi won't cross my mind. I think letting go of the pain and sadness that came with his death was very important for me, because now I hold on to the good memories we had.