During January 2017 I went to my dermatologist for a normal checkup and was surprised that I might have melanoma, which is a type of skin cancer. At that point in my life I had finals and SATs to worry about and I never thought I could have bigger problems, but came cancer (which at that point I thought I had) and I started asking myself "what is this all worth the grades, the sadness, the constant stress, and just not living life to the fullest or better not doing what I want to do. This question was always there at the back of my mind while I was studying and wasting my life on things that didn't bring me happiness, instead they brought me pain. I thought I was going to die very soon and at any point, since I've had this weird-looking mole since 3 or 4 years. I felt like I was wasting what was left of my life. At that point I finally came up with an answer to that very stubborn question which refused to leave the back of my mind. And the answer was that if the end is actually so near why not enjoy each and every day as if it were the last day of my life and I actually started enjoying my days with my family and my friends, although I felt the pain and concern in their eyes they never made me feel like i was sick or that something was wrong with me, instead they continued to love me as they always did. I learned that the things we dread most could bring us the most happiness. At that point of my life I was the happiest, which is both unbelievable and weird. Maybe we need to remember that we might die at any moment to actually start living. Thankfully it turned out that it was a wrong diagnosis and I was perfectly healthy, but it served as a wake-up call that taught me a lot of lessons. I learned that this world is fleeting and that it's never worth the pain, instead we should live it with the people we love most; doing what makes us feel alive. I'm not saying that you should give up on your studying and your future, instead what I 'm saying is that don't let it or anything else make you feel un-alive and empty. Stay strong, love life, and know that sickness is never the end, in fact it's the very beginning. -F.T