Mental health during a pandemic is especially important to have during this school year, a senior at Cabrini said on Cabrini Day.
“Don’t take life for granted, life is so precious and one day it could all be taken away from me,” Amanda Lynn, a senior special education major, said.
Lynn spoke during her student research presentation Nov. 10 at Cabrini day.
March 12 is when Lynn’s busy academic and personal life changed.
Lynn still remembers the day like it was yesterday. She was in her room in the West Residence hall doing an assignment and did not know how she was going to finish it in time.
“I wish my professor would move the assignment date along with all those typical college thoughts. My final thought was I wish we had a snow day or can we just get sent home from the pandemic. Little did I know the world will change forever,” Lynn said.
Lynn’s school retreat with the school was canceled and she was sad because she was not able to go the last two years it was offered.
Soon after all her events got cancelled: honor society induction, swim banquet, going abroad, volunteering, working and seeing friends. Lynn was terribly upset because she did not understand just going all day without doing anything.
So she went from being busy all the time to doing nothing at all. But there was a realization she came upon.
She rediscovered herself in quarantine and spoke about how she would have never discovered these things if the pandemic did not happen.
The first thing she realized was that she needed a break.
Every morning she went all day doing something. Either it was academic, working or just hanging out with friends. She did not realize she needed time for herself.
The second thing she realized was noticing who her loyal friends were.
It takes a life-changing event to happen for some people to realize who is there for them and who really does not care about them.
In her stressful times people show their true colors.
All her friends knew that she was a busy bee so knowing that she does not like to sit still, her loyal friends check on her.
She noticed that certain friends lied to her over this pandemic and she gave them a second chance, but they took it for granted.
She concluded that she does not need people like that in her life.
Lynn’s third realization was to never give up when life throws you a curveball. She could have given up on everything but she chose not to.
She continued going to her online classes and doing her work even though the motivation was not there sometimes.
Her fourth realization was not being too hard on herself.
Lynn said that she was doing time trials in swimming and was disappointed in her time but then her coaches told her she should be proud of herself.
Lastly, she realized that she should not take life for granted because it could be taken away anytime.
Lynn taught us a life saving lesson that we should have a balance with prioritizing your health and following our dreams.
