**friday, oct. 17th, 2025** *My thoughts on an experience on this day*[^1] Mental health is a very serious issue. Today, my professor nearly broke down in class. It seems they have a lot on their plate, and I can tell they've been holding it in for a long time. They were hurting over their late parent, who used to take them to their favorite baseball team's games, and for their best friend, who "no longer is on this planet." "*Cherish the people you love while you still have them*," they mentioned. As I ponder over my own life, even the most put-together people have problems--especially those beyond their control. I was gonna mention how I was not able to attend last week's recitation, but opted not to put any more stress on them for today. I would rather take the L, and so I will send them an email later on, again. How many more are like him? What can *I* do to help? I know what I have to do. This unfortunate experience thankfully gave me clarity in an area in life I have not done the best in... ...now I have to do it. [^1]: This is the raw feelings I wrote during class. I copied word-for-word from my diary, so as to keep it as natural as possible.