Miniscule Moments: Making Life Worth Living by Helena

Miniscule Moments: Making Life Worth Living by Helena - January 2016 Scholarship Essay

As a member of the senior class of 2016 who has labored her way up in the steps of the high school hierarchy, I can say with certainty that my classmates and I have gone through trials and tribulations, including late night study sessions, last-minute exam cramming, and episodes of mass hysteria, which have resulted in many empty coffee cups scattered across the cafeteria floor. On the other hand, we have also shared beautiful memories and happy days, filled with effervescent spirit and a sense of strong unity as Sacred Heart “strong bond” sisters through events such as Spirit Week, First Friday masses, and relatively soon, at graduation. Nonetheless, it has come to my attention that we have an affinity to focus more on the strife and struggles of our journey through high school rather than the joyous times; we are more likely to remember how many times we’ve pulled “all-nighters” rather than how many times we’ve laughed together at the same joke. Some of us attempt to barricade our prior years from entering into our minds, not only obstructing the memories of difficulties but also memories of happiness. Some of us have even unintentionally emptied our brains of our last three years of high school due to all the activity constantly happening! Though the journey through high school can be difficult, the memories made are worth remembering since they help mold our characters and influence our behaviors and attitudes. Therefore, if we continue to remember the more negative moments rather than positive ones, our outlooks on friends, family, school, and life in general may be skewed for the worse. Although I am approaching my last several months of high school, my New Year’s resolution is to remember and embrace, in particular, the unique moments of my final year at Sacred Heart Academy, which will help me grow more appreciative of the people around me and my [school] community, at Sacred Heart and beyond. I will also be able to further acknowledge the impact my actions will have on those around me and continue to grasp and savor the opportunities that my high school and the world constantly offer me, inside and outside of the classroom.
Ever since my clock struck 12 AM on January 1, 2016, I began keeping a memory jar of all the joyous, exciting, humorous, disappointing, saddening memories that would come in the new year, including some momentous happenings from late 2015 as well. I vowed to write least one memory from each day on a small slip of paper and insert it into the jar, even if the thought was as minuscule as “my friend shared her sandwich with me today when I forgot my lunch” or “I lost my favorite scarf today: rest in peace, old friend.” Though I continue to see the slips of papers accumulate, I also vowed to not open the jar and read any of my recollections until the start of the following year on January 1, 2017. I believe this daily activity will greatly help me think back through my day. So often, everyone, regardless of age, falls into a monotonous routine, especially without a single thought of the small moments that can change an attitude. This project will make me more aware of what actually happened during my day, making me more present in situations at hand, preventing the lackadaisical participation in life that we all are guilty of sometimes.
As a student, I have realized that four years truly does pass by in a blink of an eye: my time at high school, where I have made close friends, accomplished so much, and assimilated into a close-knit community, is coming to a close. Intimidating and frightening as that sounds, my small, daily actions of remembering only remind me to make good use of the time I have left, investing my energy into doing anything and everything as best as I can. Regardless of whether I try my essay-writing skills to enter a contest or spend quality bonding time with my closest friends, my actions are focused around unlocking the fullest amount of potential in myself and savoring each moment: the moments that make life worth living. More than not, we are inclined to anticipate an enormous revelation, an event to change us forever and transfigure us into someone anew. But the truth of the matter is: the small moments of joy, somberness, anger, jealousy, silliness continuously shape us every day, so why have we not attempted to appreciate these instances more?