Dear Editor:
An open letter to the University of Guelph and the Guelph community.
As you all know, on Jan. 8 Ukrainian flight 752 crashed in Iran killing all 176 people on board.
So many of the souls lost were Iranian Canadians, and the news shattered me. Recently I attended a vigil for the two Iranian-Canadian University of Guelph students who perished in the crash. Although extremely difficult to sit through, I was reminded of one important thing: the value of friendship and compassion.
I wanted to take this time to tell each of you, how truly special you are to me. Life is short, almost tragically so. When I was accepted into the university’s resident assistant group, I was terrified that I would not be accepted for who I am, for everything that makes me, me.
The overwhelming love you have shown me has helped me carry on in times where I did not have the strength, will, or desire to do so. I cherish our time together, all our endless laughter and shenanigans, and all our extremely raw and vulnerable moments. Through all the tears and laughter, one thing has remained constant: love. I finally feel as if I have a permanent place in life. I finally feel as if I have a group of people that support me for who I am.
I recognize that I am extremely lucky to be where I am, writing these words to you. Each of us have people who believe in us, and will support us to the very end. That end may be tomorrow, or it may be years from now. Please know that I am one of those people for you.
This is a particularly hard and trying time for us all. The world is, quite frankly, falling apart. My once joy-filled calls to my father in Iran, are now soaked in fear. What if the last time I talked to him was this morning when he called me his little princess?
I propose to you all a goal for 2020: live your life filled with love. Reach out to those around you, let them know you care. The recent events have reminded me of how truly fragile life is. Let us make sure we live it filled with happiness.
To end this, I want to thank you so much for everything. Guelph truly is place that brings people together. You all are such kind and lovely souls. I could not be more honoured to be in your lives.
Zahra Nejad,
University of Guelph