A few weeks ago, while I was walking down Main hallway, a headline tweeted from CNN caught my eye: Little boy in Aleppo a vivid reminder of war’s horror.

It was accompanied by a photo that has reverberated around the world at this point: a young boy, probably around five years old, sitting quietly in the seat of an ambulance, his face covered in dirt and blood. His name: Omran Daqneesh. He is a victim of the Syrian civil war, which has taken nearly half a million lives.

In the midst of the typical stress regarding my grades and friends, I realized suddenly in that hallway, looking at that young boy, that I am a part of the lucky few.

Harker, to me, is a supportive and open minded community, where I am so lucky to have all that I need: helpful teachers, loving friends, and an incredible array of Sushi to choose from at lunch. And yet I find that sometimes, it seems that we, as a student body, are so preoccupied with navigating our own jam-packed lives that we tend to lose sight of the bigger picture: that ultimately, just being at this school is reason enough to take a moment, take a breath, and be grateful.

High school can be hard. Feelings get hurt, responsibility reaches new heights, and most importantly, students begin to learn more about themselves and their place in the world. There is no denying high school’s difficulties, and I certainly don’t mean to belittle them. However, that’s not to say perspective is out of our reach.

To whoever reading this, whatever you are going through, whether it be a bad grade, or difficult parents, or your heart being broken, remember that if somewhere, a young five year old boy in Syria can make it after all he’s been through, then you too are strong and brave enough to get through whatever it is you are dealing with. Despite the odds, the worry, the judgement, and the stress, (which can be unreasonably intense).

I hope you are able to find that strength.

This piece was originally published in the pages of The Winged Post on October 11, 2016.