2016: A Look Back

2016: A Look Back

         It is probably safe to say that 2016 was quite the year, for both better and for worse.

            In one single year, we saw the following: the death of the gorilla Harambe became an Internet martyr; the United Kingdom exited the European Union in what became known as “Brexit”; an alarming and tragic number of celebrities and icons passed away; the world looked the other way as Syria was subject to bombings; the future of the United States became uncertain when the country voted billionaire and controversial figure Donald Trump to be the 45^th President.

            As I said: 2016 was quite the year.

            But for this writer, 2016 proved to be the most challenging year yet.

            As my second semester at California State University, Northridge neared the end, my family was dealt a great blow when my father, Nick Urmanita, passed away after an eight-month long battle with cancer. He was only 58 years old.

            Prior to his death, I was told two months before that my dad had chosen to quit chemotherapy, as the procedure only worsened his pain. He instead decided to live out the remainder of his days surrounded by loved ones, choosing quality over quantity. I was happy to have returned home for that final week he was alive, spending all the time close to him until his passing.

            I had come to terms to my father’s inevitable passing beforehand. Nonetheless, my father’s passing forever remains as one of the most difficult points in my life. Naturally, it is always hard to lose a loved one, particularly if it’s a parent. What made it more so for me was, despite my father and I getting along just fine and loving each other just as well, I always felt that I never spent as much time with him while he was still alive. Which was why every moment I spent with him during those long and difficult eight months.

            When the next semester came along, I started off the semester just fine. But the stress of the semester, combined with the grieving of my father’s loss and learning of a former high school classmate’s tragic death almost led to me experiencing a mental and nervous breakdown. It was a phone call with my mother that prevented the breakdown, and I returned home for a weekend to work on a paper and refresh myself. That moment, along with my father’s death, showed me that even though my future is in Los Angeles and that I should always look forward to the future, I will forever miss home and the people I left behind.

            As 2016 comes to a close, I only have one real resolution for 2017: to see what the New Year brings. Until then, I want to thank everyone this year that was there for me when I really needed it. I feel truly blessed to have such wonderful people in my life.

            Cheers, everybody. See you in 2017.