Back to school has always been my favorite time of the year. Whether it was school supply shopping or registration day, every aspect was exciting to me. I loved the idea of new beginnings and fresh starts, because if last year did not go so well, maybe this year would. I never expected that feeling to change, until this past year happened. Having a parent pass away completely changes your life and the way you see things around you.

This year is my senior year of college and my little sisters' first year of high school. This should be such an exciting time in our lives. So why can I only see it as my dad not being here for my college graduation or seeing my sisters play their first halftime show at a football game? It is just not exciting anymore; if anything, back to school is just bringing all those sad feelings back up again. It is making it hard to enjoy such an exciting time when all you can think about is the missing piece that should be experiencing all this with you.

But, this past year, although it's been hard, has given me a different outlook on back to school. From a student's eyes, it’s new beginnings, new shoes, different teachers and new friends. For parents and guardians, back to school means running kids from band practice to student council meetings, going to football games every Friday night and trying to help them keep up with homework.

That’s the new perspective I have had to take this year. Although I only lost one parent, he was a crucial part of our back to school and everyday life, and now I have had to help fill that hole. To some college kids, helping run their younger siblings to band practice or helping them with their first AP assignment might not be their idea of a fun back to school, but this new perspective has given me so much more than the old feelings I had on back to school. Now I get to watch with pride as my sisters play their first football game because I helped them get to that point, and when they get an A on that first test, I know I’ll have been right next to them helping them study.

This past year has changed my life but it has also changed my perspective, and sometimes perspective can be everything.