A typical Syrian refugee walks countless miles each day, trying to reach an unknown destination with the hope that it offers asylum. A typical BVNW student walks the halls of BVNW, their greatest worry is arriving late to their next class. A Syrian refugee has watched their home become torn apart by violence and seen cities crumble into nothingness.  An ordinary BVNW student goes home each night to a roof over their head and the comfort and safety of their neighborhoods. A refugee worries about having access to the bare necessities, and wonders if they will ever belong or even be welcomed in a new country. After walking for many days, a Syrian refugee makes it to a camp which may offer no comfort or stability, only small portions of food, water and shelter.

A BVNW student worries their phone will die before the end of the school day. They complain about the school Wi-Fi being too slow, the classroom being too warm or too cold and being too tired to focus. A typical student at BVNW does not realize how fortunate they are.

With the lifestyle many of us have, it is easy to not notice the little things we possess. When you are carelessly snacking, it is normal to not think of the people who are waiting in a mile-long line just to get a small amount of food. We are incredibly fortunate to have our needs met daily, but that does not mean we should forget people like the refugees, who have next to nothing.

Syrian refugees are exposed to bloodshed and violence we could not even imagine. According to the head of the United Nations relief efforts, more than 250,000 people have been killed in Syria since the war started in 2011. We are all so used to living in the safety of our cookie-cutter neighborhoods, we forget there are people who are too afraid to walk the streets of their own cities due to the violence in their country. We should not take our safety for granted, because there are people in the world who would do anything just to live in our neighborhoods and fall asleep to the silence of our streets.

After a long journey, Syrian refugees make it to the country they want to call home, however, they find that they are denied that ability. When we are frustrated with the amount of homework we have or are rushing to finish a project the night before it is due, consider the frustration the Syrian refugees are feeling after being defeated by a country’s border. I can almost guarantee their frustration will be greater than yours.

We all know life will never be completely perfect, and there will be obstacles in life that will be hard to overcome. When you hit these obstacles and begin thinking about how unfair your life is, remember the struggle of the Syrian refugee. It is simply unfair for us to have so much, and not appreciate it a great deal more.