Graduations are always a time of bittersweet endings and anxiously eager new beginnings. They also come with a lot of grief and unexpected emotions. This year, graduations are especially difficult when our personal lives become intertwined with the political mess of our country. Public education is being attacked in our city, and the future is very uncertain. There is war overseas and I can't help but panic knowing eventually it will reach us one way or another. The only thing I can hold on to at this moment is knowing that we still have time together and make the most of it. People have their own free will and no matter how much someone might try to have control, everyone has to live with their own choices. Everyone has a right to live their life the way they choose, even when we disagree. Family and love are what matters most in my eyes and the only thing we can do is be there for them when they need us. Being the oldest sibling is a blessing and a pain (sometimes), and watching our younger siblings grow into their own people is frightening when all you want to do is protect them from this unrelenting world.