For all my pancake lovers who go to Catholic High, you know how tough this week has been. Our first day back from a long Thanksgiving break and we learned of the death of an alumni, one many knew, loved, and cared for. Just days later, the child of a alumni lost her battle to cancer. We remembered their lives through masses, an assembly, and adoration.

For the first time in six months my family was able to enjoy a meal without the threat of an impending round of chemo looming in the air. Dad is now done with all treatments until the end of the month when we determine where we stand with the enemy, cancer. We were able to spend the break together doing normal family things, like making pancakes. I truly enjoyed the normalcy of the break.

It was a trying Tuesday morning beginning with an emotional assembly. The site of tear streaked faces made it hard to continue with the day. The harsh contrast of my relaxing and the tension of school was a shock to my system. In this time before Christmas, I was expecting a lively environment full of excitement. It’s hard to watch the school community, including my own friends, grieve the loss of these girls.

There is very little positivity floating around right now, not just at my school, but everywhere. Tragedy seems to be affecting many this season. I firmly believe what we put out into the world comes back to us, so in the coming weeks I challenge EVERYONE to spread a little love to someone who needs it. Big or small we should all try to put some positive energy in the air by preforming random acts of kindness. One small act could be writing an uplifting note to a friend, or go big and host a pancake party. Either way, your actions are important.

So let’s flood the air with good vibes and smiles, who knows, maybe it will come back to us when we need it.

And to the LCHS pancakes, don’t forget about our own commitment to #RACk15 to honor the lives of those we lost.