Many people have had earth-shattering moments that changed their perspective on life. These moments are rarely planned, and the lessons they teach stay with them for their whole life. To try to capture these lessons, I asked the staff around the school about moments that changed their lives, and what they learned from them.
Heather McClure has experienced a great deal of change in the past few years. She’s had two brain tumors and two brain surgeries. While this is an incredibly difficult thing for anyone to go through, it has also taught her an important lesson. “Something that I learned from that is not to sweat the small stuff,” McClure said. “Life will throw some hard things at you, so don’t let the little things get you down. Life’s a gift, and there’s lots of good things to be grateful for.” McClure’s experience shows that life isn’t something you take for granted. I personally find myself worrying about minute issues, which take me away from the bigger picture.
Often, as humans, we worry too much about unimportant things and distract ourselves from how beautiful life really is.
Joann Constantinides’ most important realization was hard-earned. She learned an important lesson through one of the most difficult moments imaginable. “I actually got to sit with my dad when he passed away,” she said. While this is a very hard thing to go through, Constantinides also considered it a privilege. “I was so glad I could be there when he passed, as hard and sad as it was.” Her experience gave her an important realization. “What I learned from it was that I wish I had been able to be a lot more present for him before he passed,“ Constantinides shared. She started actively applying this lesson to her life. “My mom is still alive, and… I’m just spending more time with her, and asking her more questions, and learning more about her.” It’s important to appreciate the people in our lives because we don’t know how long we’re going to have them.
These lessons learned by Heather McClure and Joann Constantinides were not without hardship, but as a reader, you don’t have to experience them firsthand to appreciate the wisdom of their truths. It is too easy to get caught up in the small inconveniences and stress of everyday life, but you don’t need to have an earth-shattering moment to remember to take time to appreciate the beauty of life and the people we love.
