Pinkness in Uncertainty: One Pink Step at a time

 Hi there! I’m just your typical senior high student trying to figure out life one step at a time—and yes, those steps are totally pink! Life in senior high can get pretty crazy with deadlines, projects, and all the *what-ifs*, but I’ve learned that adding a pop of pink makes everything feel a little less overwhelming.  

Pink is a pale color that sits between red and bluish-red, created by blending red with white to achieve its characteristic softness. In optics, it is a hue with medium to high brightness and low saturation, and in nature, it graces flowers like roses and cherry blossoms or glimmers in gemstones like pink sapphire. Often, pink is seen as a symbol of sweetness, romance, and femininity—qualities that have shaped its cultural significance over centuries.

For me, pink isn’t just a color—it’s a mindset. It’s the soft blush of hope when things go wrong, the bubblegum pop of creativity when ideas run dry, and the rosy glow of optimism when life feels gray. It’s how I survive the chaos of late-night study marathons, the pressure of college dreams, and the occasional (okay, frequent) existential crises.  

Think of this blog as a little escape from the messiness of life—a space where we can laugh about the struggles, cry over missed deadlines, and find a little sparkle in the chaos. So, whether you’re here to relate, laugh, or maybe find your own touch of pink in life, let’s navigate this rollercoaster together, one pink step at a time!

It’s 11:58 PM, and my desk is a battlefield. Papers scatter everywhere—research drafts, half-finished essays, unreviewed notes. My planner sits on top of it all, its pages filled with crossed-out deadlines and hastily scribbled reminders. Yet even with all this evidence of effort, I feel like I’m drowning, like I’m running in circles, trying to outrun a race I’ll never win. 

 

This is life as a Grade 12 student. The supposed “best years of our lives,” yet for me, it feels like a constant uphill climb. Every day, it’s the same: piles of schoolwork, expectations weighing me down, and the ache of knowing that no matter how much I give, it will never be enough.  

Taylor Swift said it perfectly:  

I try so hard. I pour every ounce of myself into my academics. I skip breaks, sacrifice sleep, and push myself to the brink, hoping that somehow, it will be worth it. But the truth? It doesn’t feel like it is. My general average last quarter was 94—so close to my dream of 95, but not close enough.  

And it’s not just school. Being the eldest daughter carries its own unspoken weight. I’m supposed to be the role model, the one everyone leans on.

But what happens when I falter?
What happens when I need someone to lean on, and no one’s there? 

 
There’s also the shadow of growing up without a father figure. People say you can’t miss what you never had, but they’re wrong. I miss the idea of him—the protector, the one who’s supposed to say, “You’re doing okay. I’m proud of you.” Without that, I’ve spent my life trying to fill the void with achievements, hoping it would make me feel whole. But it doesn’t.

Even when I’m surrounded by people, I feel alone. My friends laugh about their weekends, their victories, their plans, and I sit there silently, feeling like an outsider in my own life. My family says they’re proud of me, but they don’t see how much I just want to pause and breathe.  

They said “You are the one who decides what you want to be. Nobody else.”

But what if I don’t even know what I want to be?

College applications, the future—it all feels like a blur. Every step I take feels like a reminder that I’m not just competing with myself but with everyone around me. Yet, even in this whirlwind of doubt, there’s a spark inside me that refuses to burn out.

It’s pink—a warm, stubborn glow that reminds me to keep going.  

I see it in the little things: the laughter of kids I smile at, the compliments I give to people who probably needed to hear them, the way my heart lights up when I let my inner child come alive—buying tiny trinkets or indulging in the silly joys I used to love. And maybe that’s the secret. Life isn’t just about the big wins or the shiny medals. It’s about the small moments that remind us we’re alive, the little steps that carry us forward.   

Senior high school feels like a  never-ending rollercoaster. Every turn, every drop, throws me into a whirlwind of deadlines, assignments, and future plans I don’t even feel ready for yet. There are days when the pressure seems too much, when the future feels too big, and I wonder how I’ll ever get there. I’m not sure what the next step is, but I know one thing for sure: I have to keep moving forward, even when everything is uncertain.

That’s the thing about uncertainty—it’s always going to be there.

Senior high school is full of it. But I’ve learned that we don’t have to have everything figured out right now. Life is less about having the perfect plan and more about showing up every day, taking each challenge as it comes, and stepping forward, even when we don’t have all the answers.

And that’s where the pinkness comes in. It’s the color of hope and optimism when everything feels gray. It’s the light that shines even when the path seems unclear. Every day, even when it feels like I’m falling behind, I remind myself that as long as I’m taking *one pink step at a time*, I’m moving closer to where I need to be. Each small victory, each moment of growth, is something worth celebrating.

There will always be bumps in the road, moments when things don’t go according to plan. But those moments don’t define me. What matters is how I keep going, how I keep finding the pinkness even on the toughest days. The uncertainty won’t go away, but that’s okay. I can handle it, because I know that with every step I take, I’m creating my own path.


So, here’s my message to you, and to myself: You are enough. Your efforts, no matter how small they seem, matter. The race might feel endless, but you’re stronger than you think. You’re not defined by your grades, your failures, or the expectations of others.  

Take a breath. Let yourself rest. Celebrate the small victories, the pink spark that keeps you going. Because one day, when you look back, you’ll realize that every small step built the path to something greater.  
And until then, let’s keep moving forward, together. One pink step at a time.

Yours Truly,

Kris Jannah Abelis

Grade 12 - Humss Cornelius