On July 10, 2014, my friends and I boarded a red, double-decker Skyline bus for a 16th birthday party. After a long day of being tourists, we headed home. There were no seatbelts, nor instructions to sit down. Within ten minutes, we were all on the upper deck, enjoying the ride. We were about three exits from home and I remember watching an overpass go right over my head, missing me by a foot. The next thing I knew, Mason was on the ground. Quickly, two of my friends picked him up and carried him downstairs. The bus pulled over, and minutes later an ambulance arrived along with many police.
I watched the paramedics put Mason on the stretcher and into the back of the ambulance. My mind ran blank and at that moment I was in complete shock and confusion. After two days of early mornings and late nights in the hospital, I had to say goodbye to Mason. Having spent every day for the past six years with him, losing him was very hard for me to grasp. For months I was consumed with feelings of guilt and loss.
Just over a year has passed since Mason's death, and I'm starting to move on. With the help of old friends coming together, school taking over my thoughts, the day of the accident is now a blur.
This incident has taught me a lot and has made me a much more dedicated, focused student. I now know life can be taken away in an instant. I now know that it's important to appreciate every day, and to value and respect those around me. I know that I am not invincible, and I know I cannot take school and my education for granted. Amongst my friends, I have become the one to stay in to study, and the one to remind everyone else to be careful.
This past year has been incredibly difficult, but I have persevered. I've grown and changed this past year--there is no going back to my childhood. But I'm stronger than I've ever been in my life, and I am ready and determined to make the most for the rest of my life
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