At 12:08 p.m. on Friday, March 13, 2020, I descended the stairs in Main at Grimsley High, clutching my stomach. I wasn’t well and needed to go home. My history teacher held the door open and jokingly said “see you next year.”
Little did I know at the time that he was right.
Transitioning to virtual school in those early spring days felt like being a fish transferred from tropical waters to Antarctica. I felt isolated and quickly spiraled into a deep depression. Throughout the day, I sluggishly completed my work, wishing I was back at the high school I had grown to love over the years. I pretended to be fine, wearing a mask of smiles. But at night, everything changed. My misery took root, and I found myself reminiscing, thinking of days spent in the Grove, laughing with my English teacher before school. I filed these memories away. It was too hard to think about all the things I felt I was missing.
The only thing that brought me joy was watching the growth of an Amorphophallus titanum, also known as a corpse flower, live on Instagram. I watched it faithfully every day. When its blood-red spathe finally opened, I was ecstatic. This event might seem minuscule to you, dear reader, but the corpse flower only blooms once every four to five years. Four years seem endless; their hour-to-hour tasks pass you by. You wait for the big events... your first day of senior year, prom, graduation. What do you do when all of that might be taken away? I take solace in the blooming of the Amorphophallus titanum.
In the beginning of a new chapter, finding good and beauty in what once seemed mundane. This skill, I’ve realized, is one of the most integral to living life well. It was so easy for me to dwell on everything I felt was wrong. I missed a trip to a new country, taking my exams (which I was actually looking forward to), watching my best friends graduate, and so many other things. However, when I think about it now, I’m grateful for the time I’ve been able to spend with my family before I leave for college, for the opportunities I’ve had to serve others through the pandemic, but most of all, for the realization that every day counts. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of the Amorphophallus titanum, a flower I was fascinated by as a child, and I remind myself to savor the best parts of every day, no matter how small.
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