I remember the first time we met.

The first time we spoke.

It all started with a simple message , a few words that didn’t seem special at first, yet somehow they lingered. From that day on, our conversations became the highlight of my nights. I would wait for your messages, reread our chats, and smile at the thought that someone out there, miles away, was thinking of me too.

I remember those nights when that one small light stayed on, keeping me awake just so I could talk to you. Even when my eyes were tired and the world around me was asleep, my heart refused to rest. There was something comforting in the way our words filled the silence, in the rhythm of our conversations, in the feeling of being understood without having to explain everything. Sometimes, I find myself missing those quiet nights , the ones where my mind was clear and my heart was calm. Back then, everything felt simple. No doubts, no fears, no endless questions about what we were. In every silence, I still remember it all , the random late-night talks, the teasing, the promises we made without realizing how fragile they were. Those were the memories only we would ever truly understand.

If I had known it would end up like this, I might have held back. I might have protected my heart a little more. But the truth is, I don’t regret meeting you. You became a small yet unforgettable chapter in my life , one that taught me how it feels to care, to hope, and to lose something that was never really mine. You were kind, intelligent, competitive, and respectful. You had this way of making every message feel thoughtful, every reply worth waiting for. Even when the day was heavy, a single “how are you?” from you could make everything lighter. I am thankful it was you. Because through you, I learned what it means to feel something genuine , something that made life a little brighter, even for a short while. What was once a prayer of “I hope it’s you” has slowly turned into “I hope you’re happy.” And maybe that is how life teaches us to let go , not through forgetting, but through learning to wish someone well, even from afar.

There were moments when I wished I had been born earlier, that time could have favored us, that the years and distance separating us could somehow disappear. But while I was holding on to the hope of bringing back what we used to have, time moved quietly. Seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours, and the months passed without me realizing it. Time really moves fast. It’s hard to believe it’s almost been a year. The laughter we shared still echoes in my mind. I still remember the words that once made my cheeks warm, the late-night stories that made my heart race, and the way you made distance feel smaller than it truly was. You made me feel seen in ways I didn’t know I needed. And now, I often find myself wondering when I will ever feel that again. Your stories, your advice, the way you always seemed to listen even when my words didn’t make sense ,they are things I will never forget. Maybe I read too much into them. Maybe I mistook your kindness for something deeper, something it was never meant to be. But I guess that’s part of caring; sometimes, we see meaning where there is none, and we hold on to moments that were never meant to last.

And if I ever made things difficult, I want to say I’m sorry. I’m sorry if my feelings ever made you uncomfortable, if my hopes became too heavy for you to carry. I never meant to burden you with the weight of what I felt. I only wanted to be honest , maybe too honest , about what you meant to me. And if my presence ever made you step back, I understand. It took me time, but I do.

Still, despite everything, I genuinely hope you’re doing well. I hope life has been gentle with you. I hope your mornings are calm and your nights are peaceful. I hope you still find reasons to smile the way you used to make me smile. I’ll never forget the sleepless nights I spent overthinking, replaying every message, wondering what went wrong. The quiet tears that fell without reason, the confusion of wanting something that was never clear. Yet, somewhere between the ache and the healing, something inside me began to shift. The pain softened. The weight grew lighter. And slowly, without me realizing, the longing turned into acceptance. Your name no longer feels heavy in my heart. When I remember you now, it feels like looking at an old chat, I once couldn’t stop rereading ,something beautiful, something that mattered, but something I’ve finally learned to leave where it belongs. Because maybe that’s what peace truly feels like. Not forgetting, but remembering without breaking. Not holding on, but smiling at what once was. As I look back, I realize that some people come into our lives not to stay but to teach us how to feel and how to heal.

Lately, everything has felt overwhelmingly heavy and I cannot shake the feeling that something is wrong inside me, both mentally and emotionally. It feels like there is a quiet storm happening in my mind that no one else can see, and I am trying to stand still while everything inside me feels like it is falling apart. I just wish people were kinder, because most days it feels like the world is full of sharp edges and I am walking through them alone, pretending that I am fine when I am not. I have been fighting my own silent battles, resisting the urge to hurt myself, knowing it will not fix anything and knowing it would only leave more scars that I do not need. I sit with my palms covering my face, asking myself what the problem is, yet I cannot even understand what I am crying for or where the sadness is coming from. It feels like my heart is aching without a reason and my thoughts are tangled in ways I cannot explain.

I have started isolating myself again, slowly pulling away from people without meaning to. I do not want to return to the old version of me, because I know I would be worse this time and I am afraid of what that version would look like. Before, when sadness came, I could still turn to my hobbies and the little things that made me happy, like music, writing, or simply being outside. But now, I feel myself losing interest in everything, as if the things that once felt warm now feel distant and cold. It is as if sadness is choosing me even when I do not want it, even when I try to fight it, and even when I beg myself to feel something lighter. I feel mentally and physically exhausted, like my body is dragging itself through each day while my mind is somewhere far away. I wake up in the middle of the night, and within minutes I find myself crying in the dark, listening to the sound of my own breathing and wishing it felt comforting. I just want a hug, a real one, the kind that makes you feel safe and understood. I want to disappear, not in the way people might assume, but in a way where I could leave everything behind and escape somewhere peaceful, somewhere quiet, somewhere where my heart could rest for a while. I need a break from everything, from thoughts, from expectations, from pretending. I tried reaching out to friends and family, hoping someone would notice the hints, hoping someone would hear the shakiness in my voice or see the sadness in my eyes. But instead, I felt ignored, like my pain was invisible, like my feelings were too quiet for anyone to care about. It made me wonder, if I have many friends and a supposedly supportive family, then why do I feel so unseen when I need them most. Why does the road feel so dark and heavy every time a storm hits. Why do I feel like I am carrying something too heavy while everyone else walks freely. Is this really what family and friends are supposed to mean. I do not think so. I believe they should make you feel supported, noticed, and understood, not forgotten and unheard.

Right now, I feel sad, miserable, and deeply alone. It feels like I am surrounded by people yet still completely by myself. I am constantly questioned for the things I do and it makes me doubt myself, as if everything I do is wrong or not enough. I just wish I had someone I could talk to, someone who would listen without judging, without interrupting, without dismissing what I feel. Carrying all of this by myself feels like being a balloon filled to the limit, ready to burst at any moment, and maybe that is what is happening now. I feel stressed, pressured, and fragile, like one more thought or one more disappointment could make everything spill over. It is tiring to feel this way, and even more tiring to pretend that I do not. Still, I hold on to the hope that this phase will eventually pass. I remind myself that emotions shift and time changes things, even when it feels slow. I hate being in this chapter of my life, and I hate how heavy everything feels, but that does not mean I do not want to live. Deep inside me, even beneath the sadness, there is still a small desire for better days, for peace, for relief, for laughter that feels real again. I want to feel like myself again, and I want to wake up one day without this heaviness. And maybe one day, I will.

Have you ever experienced being alone? Hopeless? Or being judged by the people around you because of how you just react to a certain situation? Have you ever felt weak when a storm hits your life and all you could think of is that nothing you ever did was right and now you do not even know if you will ever get out of this situation or if your life is still heading toward something good? I am certain that many, or perhaps all of us here, have gotten to that point in our lives.

Ladies and gentlemen, today, my speech entitled "FINDING HOPE IN THE DARK" talks about the silent cry of young youths like students in this generation and how mental health plays an important role in this sensitive topic.

Let me start with one of my favourite verses in the Bible from the book of Exodus 14:14, which says, “I will fight for you, you only need to be still.” This verse always reminds me of my past self. I remember this young little girl who was silently crying alone in one corner of her dark room. Back then, she barely knew the words of God. I remember those times when I was really going through a lot of things, feeling both family and academic pressure, constantly thinking about all the expectations I needed to meet just to please others.

Like me, many students in this generation experience the same struggles, according to World Health organization from 1 to 7 students 14% of it experience mental health problems. Many of them start to isolate themselves as their coping mechanism, thinking that cutting connections of themselves away from everyone will fix the problem. But little do they know that isolation only makes the situation worse. Being piled up with projects, quizzes, and exams, imagine carrying all these academic pressures at the same time. It results in stress, burnout, and exhaustion. Sometimes, it gets so overwhelming that I always find myself zoning out and unable to focus properly on my work. And suddenly, the fear of failure begins to grow, the fear that one mistake means you are not good enough bacause you disappointed others.

Family pressure also becomes heavier in these moments. Students begin to think that they must always get perfect scores and do well just to make their family proud. This kind of anxiety used to haunt me every time in the past. And what was worse was that even though I had a lot of friends, even though I was in a room full of people, deep inside I felt deeply alone. I was not only physically tired, but mentally drained from always thinking of the worst case scenario, afraid of being judged, embarrassed to show what I was truly going through.

All of these struggles can negatively affect our well being, and if left unsolved, they can lead to mental health problems like depression, self doubt, and even thoughts of suicide. I remember starting a diary just to release the thoughts that were bottled up inside of me, thoughts I did not want anyone else to know. And it honestly really help me a lot.

Life will inevitably bring us to the lowest points we could ever imagine. During those moments, we feel hopeless, and during those times, it is okay to not be okay. It is okay to reach out to someone you trust. It is okay to express what you are feeling, especially when it becomes too much to carry alone. And most of all, it is okay to be weak. That is how life works. What matters is that you choose to hope, to rise, and to encourage yourself to step out of that darkness, even slowly. Because the moment you accept your pain is the moment you begin to grow and slowly become a stronger and better version of yourself.

Remember that you have God. Like what in Jeremiah 29:11 says ,"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope", everything you experience does not happen without purpose. Rather, it happens to help prepare you, shape you, strengthen you, and remind you that even when you feel alone, you are never truly alone.

Again i am Ar**** An***** Fu*** from grade 11-demeter encouraging you all to say "I can, i'll try and i will", remind that teven in tge darkest moment of our lives, there is always hope waiting to be found. Thank you.