As I drove home on Dec. 13 after a day I didn’t want to happen, my mind replayed the events of the previous 20 hours: my nightmares the night before, the assembly, the two classes I attended, my time with my youth group, my choir concert, the conversations I had and the flurry of emotions that were inside me. I had no desire to walk into the building Tuesday, I wanted nothing more than to crawl back into bed and ignore every feeling I had. Three years ago I was 14 and grew up in a matter of 80 seconds, and now three years later I’m still growing up. That horrible day changed myself, my peers, my teachers and many others. When I pulled into the parking lot Tuesday morning I was already exhausted and looking at the entrance to the bubble with dread. I attended part of the school day because I had to, but despite my determination to ignore the past, I was reminded of what I learned from the aftermath of the shooting.

Dec. 13th caused a tremendous amount of pain, more than words can truly convey, it also taught some important lessons. Lessons I think we often place in the back of our minds along with the event that inspired them because it can be tremendously painful to think about. The classes who experienced that day learned the importance of taking every drill seriously, lockdown drills are pin drop silent, no one says a word- and we know it’s just a drill. But more than just the importance of drills, we learned the what it truly means to be a warrior and the responsibility that comes with that title.

To be a warrior is to pause and check on anyone crying, to let them know that they aren’t alone.

To be a warrior is to unite as one in the face of adversity and rise up from each event that attempts to bring you down.

To be a warrior is to lay down any differences you may have and care.

To be a warrior is to love one another.

To be a warrior is to take care of each other.

To be a warrior is to not only ask peers how they are doing, but to ask teachers and staff how they are doing. We are all human and teachers put more effort into us than we will ever know, the least we can do is care about them.

To be a warrior is to never forget.

To be a warrior is to remember the value of each day.

To be a warrior is to lean on your peers.

To be a warrior is to leave no one behind, no matter who they are. There is good in all people, no matter where it may be, it exists. And it is a warrior’s responsibility to seek it and to encourage it.

Being a warrior these last four years has been no easy task, however it has been rewarding. Dec. 13 helped shape and change us, however we will never be what happened to us. My encouragement and challenge to each warrior no matter when their time at Arapahoe occurred is to choose to love, choose to fight, choose to be a light, to never forget and to never let a circumstance become who you are.

We are warriors, we are strong, and we will chose to love.

Warriors always take care of each other.