Blackham Week 2: Don't Miss a Moment

I’m a part of the Nightingales at the school - the select women’s choir. This year has definitely been weird with covid restrictions, but using Zoom, we’ve been able to reach out to nearby retirement homes to bring a little joy into their day. We’ve started an “Adopt a Nightingale'' program where each student is paired up with a resistant at Moravian Hall square. During 3rd block break, we have a chance to zoom with our buddies and talk for a bit. I got to zoom for the second time with my buddy on Tuesday. Her name is Mary and she’s 103 years old!! She grew up in Nazareth and even went to our high school. She’s lived here all her life and used to work as a secretary at a nearby water company. She lived through the great depression and during WWII, both her husband and son were both drafted into the army. When I asked her where her dream vacation would be, she said home. She said she didn’t need to go anywhere else as long as she had her family near her. 

After ending the zoom call, I began to think of all the time we still have in life. We have places to see, experiences to have, things to learn, and lives to impact. And with unpredictable timelines, I don’t want to miss a moment. I especially loved what Mary said about families. When talking with her, I could tell that her family was the most important aspect of her life. Above everything else. Friends, jobs, and experiences will all eventually pass by or end, but family lasts forever. 

Over the long quarantined time during the spring and summer, I got to spend a lot more time with my family. MUCH more time than I usually get to. Sometimes a bit too much :) When school became virtual, my brothers attended “Hogwarts” where my sister and I taught Potions, Transfiguration (Physics), Arithmancy, Charms (English), and Care of Magical Creatures. The curriculum included an egg drop project down three stories, many science experiments, and dissecting owl pellets. This whole experience led to lots of fun memories and laughs. It was especially meaningful because this was the last summer before my sister left for college.

This year reminded me how precious our time is. I’m sure many of you can relate, but I recognized how much time I was spending in my room (often doing homework) while missing out on family memories. Real human interactions and relationships will last much longer than anything else, no matter how important they may seem. Family is everything. Remembering that led me to make family time a priority over anything else.