I stand before you today to pay my respects and to say goodbye to my recently departed fried, My Free Time. On a recent Monday, this valuable and irreplaceable part of my life was taken away from me. It passed away as soon as my high school basketball season started, and the grief that accompanies its demise will haunt me for a long while. 

My Free Time consistently affected me, along with everyone in my life, in the most positive way. It allowed me to spend more time relaxing and clearing my mind from the many stresses resulting from my busy schedule. It encouraged the improvement of my academic performance, and restored my pursuit of passions in life. It created the opportunity for me to travel and spend more time with family and friends. It also allowed for the luxury of rest and recuperation throughout the day.

My Free Time granted me the opportunity to sleep for considerably more hours than I ever had before, and, as a result, it shielded me from many injuries and illnesses. Its protection, selflessness, and support for my well-being should be recognized, praised, and rewarded.

This extraordinary thing not only positively affected me and my loved ones, but also society around us. It molded me into a more well-rounded and generous citizen in my community, and, as a result, directly impacted the successes of certain volunteer activities performed to improve society as a whole. Its relentless capacity for the giving of itself to others will never be forgotten.

I truly believe that I will be reunited with My Free Time again at some point in my lifetime, hopefully after it is reincarnated over the upcoming summer. I sincerely treasured the precious moments that I was able to spend with My Dear Free Time, and I cannot accurately express my sorrow of its disappearance from my life.

–Jan. 28, 2016–