This week hasn't ended well for me. My entire school was in shock on Thursday morning when the news came out that one of our classmates had passed away. No one expected it. No one knew what to do. All through the halls, there were tears, blank stares, and hugs between grieving friends. I didn't know the boy, but I knew his name and his face. I knew he was always smiling, surrounded by his friends, and I knew that he wasn't here anymore. It seemed so unfair, so inexplicable, and so unbelievable. It felt like everything was all wrong.

But then, through the darkness that suffocated my school, light shone through in different ways. I hugged dozens of students, some of whom I barely knew, and we let each other know that it was going to be okay. All the barriers came down as we spoke openly about how we felt, turning our grief and despair into a chance to support one another and come together. We wrote our favourite memories about the student on sticky notes and placed them around his picture at the front of the school.

This was something sad, and none of us would ever want it to happen. But it did happen, and there was a silver lining of hope and unity and love that carries on now into the future. If you are struggling, if you feel like everything is wrong, then remember that it will get better. You are allowed to be sad, but be willing to see the rays of hope; I promise they'll arrive eventually.

Kat ♥

* If you are currently experiencing grief or struggling emotionally, please reach out to a trusted adult, friend or online counselling service for support. Don't suffer alone.