College can be an exciting time \0xAD\0xAD\0xAD\0xAD-- the anticipation of living alone, making your own decisions and meeting new people consumes most high school students' thoughts as they prepare to voyage into this vast, unknown place.
For me, transitioning from high school to college was probably the most exciting and the most difficult thing in my life.
My 17-year-old cousin, Anna, died my senior year of high school from leukemia, blood cancer.
One minute, I was applying to colleges, signing my life away -- or what seemed like it at the time -- and the next, I felt like I couldn't breathe.
Death is hard to accept and the process of grieving is even harder.
I kept thinking I could cover it up, go out with my friends and forget it happened.
But that's not the reality. When something bad happens, we just need to figure out how to cope.
The hardest part of grieving for me was accepting it.
She died. Even though it didn't seem like I could just go on living in a world where she wasn't, it had to happen. The earth keeps spinning.
Next was denial and dealing with family members.
The only thing that made this better for me was opening up to my family and telling them what I was feeling.
The last thing you want to do is go on family vacations and get-togethers, where there is a lump in your throat the entire time.
Instead of pretending like everything is fine, tell your loved ones what you're experiencing.
Talk about the things that are consuming your thoughts, or at least jot them down in a notebook.
We're human, and we can't keep all of our emotions bottled up just waiting to explode.
In these situations, holding on to your family and friends and leaning on them for support is crucial.
You can't do it alone.
No matter the situation, express yourself.
Everyone goes through tough times.
Keep a journal to write in whenever you're down.
It might help to get those thoughts out of your head and onto paper.
Reach out to others who might be experiencing something similar.
You never know what people have going on in their life. A simple "War eagle" might just make someone's bad day a good one.
When life gives you trying times, express your feelings and talk to people about them.
It helps, or at least it helped me.
Emily Esleck is the online editor at The Plainsman. She can be reached at online@theplainsman.com
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