I recently watched the movie "Me Before You" with a couple of sweet friends. At first, it seemed like a sweet movie. A girl, working to support her family, cares for a self-centered, paralyzed man and eventually falls in love. Though he seemed to work out his narcissistic attitude by the end of the movie, he doesn't. He still allows himself to be, even chooses to be euthanized. He still thinks of his own wellbeing before the woman he supposedly loves. While people may excuse his death with, "Well, he was in pain," I refuse to believe that there was no other way for him to go on.

I walk around my school and hear people say, "Go kill yourself." Even if it is in a joking manner, I can't imagine why that would ever be a logical response to anything. Suicide is not a joking matter. I personally have had friends dealing with this temptation. Suicide is a heartbreaking trial. It is hard for the family, friends, and even the community around this person. As we go about our lives, we touch so many different people and situations. Even the slightest smile can turn an entire day around. We don't tend to think of all the ways we can impact other people. Our society has been desensitized to the world around us. Shootings, bombings, bullying, suicide, abuse, rape, and so many other things are just another commonplace to us because we are blocking out how wrong they are. Sure, we are concerned about what happens. We make a big deal about it, for what? A week? Then we are just back to our normal lives. We're hardening ourselves to these happenings and not standing up for the hurting and the broken.

What we aren't realizing is that this movie, this exact title, "Me Before You," is how this modern society is willing to live. We take one look at a situation and wonder how it could benefit our own well-being. We don't care so much about other people anymore. We simply say whatever we want to say and go along with our lives, no matter the cost of others' feelings. We are decreasing the value of others' lives when we do this. Why don't we see that? Why can't we look at other people and see how trulyamazing they are?

My challenge for myself this year was to become a softer person. I'd built walls against situations and people around me, hoping that somehow I could make me better. I was completely wrong. Building walls and ignoring things that I didn't want to handle only made me put "me before you." I had neglected the hurt that I put on others and only cared about my own confidence and feelings. I turned it around. I made myself be vulnerable and care for those who needed it. I am turning my heart from rock to sand. I am attempting to care about others before myself and put you before me.