Recently, several things have come up to give me and those around me heavy hearts. It is the most painful thing to see people I care about being burdened by loads they do not deserve. The severity of my humanness and inadequacy seems to become more apparent in times like these; I feebly stand and offer support while panicking and simply praying I can say the right thing. I feel useless, searching for anything I can say to dull the ache, offer hope, or simply take their mind off the pain for a little while.

The recent past has brought heartache, death, loss, and illness into my circle of acquaintances, friends, and family. It is an odd feeling -- when these elusive evils that seem so far away start inching closer. They finally break through and begin impacting those you know of. Then those you know. Then those you love. These tragedies are all a part of life. However, they are not easily dealt with if we are already in the dark.

However, it is not only happening nearby. Our Facebook feeds are constantly overflowing with medical updates, violent crime reports, and depressing articles on aggression and violent hatred. The general news seems to no longer include much positivity; it is a lengthy report of horrible occurrences at home and abroad. Anything political is devastating and dramatic. People claim this is just, as it is this world's "new reality." However, nearly every story has a tragic spin.

Wonderful, undeserving people have been the victim of these depressing occurrences. We all know truly good people who have truly bad 'luck'. Life deals them a tricky card -- or even a bad hand to begin with. Dear friends are overcome with illness. Family members suffer from loss. Local events are devastating to an entire city. But we're all too tired to cry out about the pain. It is dull. It is numbing. It is heavy.

Why all the suffering? Why is the darkness getting darker?

This has become so many people's frame of mind. For a time, it was mine. When we're constantly bombarded with darkness, it becomes our new normal. Our "eyes" adjust and we carry on, forgetting or just not noticing we cannot even see anymore. We are in pitch black. And we forget to turn on the light.

Getting stuck in a despondent state is not healthy. We need to pull ourselves out of this rut. Sadness is rampant. It is in our homes and on our screens.

What if our generation brought positivity back? What if we turned on the light? Life does bring its sorrow, but not everything is a tragedy. Let's stop making things that could be neutral dark and depressing simply to sell fear. We have to stop buying into the media-induced misery. Opposition of thought and difference of opinion was not always the precursor to disrespect and hatred. If we can get ourselves out of the darkness in our everyday perspective, then life's inherent troubles will not plummet us into the darkest pits of despair. Being happy is a choice. Seeing things in the light is just a matter of our perspective. Let's not forget that.

"Happiness can be found, even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light." -- Albus Dumbledore