Ryan R. Mei

During the weekend before finals week, me and one of my friends decided to go walking around campus to take our minds off the academic stress that was piling up. We walked pretty far away from our resident hall and eventually reached the local graveyard by 12:30 midnight (pictures not included to respect the deceased).

By the 1 hour mark of walking through the cemetery, we begin to just ponder about the lives of everyone who were in the graves. Some people had lived full, long lives, spanning eight or nine decades. Others were cut short, with only a few years or months separating their birth and death dates. The brevity of some lives hit particularly hard. It made me think about how much I take for granted, assuming I have endless time ahead of me.

The finals stress that had consumed my thoughts just an hour earlier suddenly felt trivial. Here I was, worried about exam scores and GPA points, while standing among people who would never have another chance to stress about anything. The irony wasn’t lost on me. We spend so much of our lives anxious about things that, in the grand scheme, barely matter.

“You are made from dust, and to dust you shall return.” – Genesis 3:19

This verse resonated deeply as we stood surrounded by countless headstones, each one marking a life that had been lived, loved, and lost. The quote reminded me of the universal truth that connects all of humanity – our mortality. No matter our accomplishments, wealth, or status, we all share the same origin and destination.

That night, I returned to my dorm with a renewed perspective. I studied for my finals, but with a different energy. Instead of cramming out of fear, I approached the material with genuine curiosity. The midnight walk through the graveyard had given me something no amount of studying ever could – perspective on what truly matters and a reminder to live fully while I still can.