King Lear is a story about a man who decides to give up his land and resources to his daughters. Because of that, he causes a divide in his family, and they all turn against him. He is left with no land, no power, and no family. 

In his solitude, he did, however, grow and was able to find himself. He was left with nothing and felt nothing but chaos around him while his family was splitting apart but this did not last forever. He was able to accept that what he did caused a divide in his family and after accepting what he did and coming to terms with that he had lost the relationship he once had with his daughter. This gave him peace, he no longer felt the chaos surrounding him and was at peace with his situation. 

This resonated with me because not everything lasts forever, and this is especially true about friendships. Friends will come and go, and relationships will change, but if you are stuck in the past, you won’t be able to grow in new relationships. 

This applied to me because at times, I could find myself thinking about the past and what could have been or looking to the future, wondering what could happen instead of enjoying what is happening. Living in the current moment is something everyone can and should do. When you focus too much on the past or future and try and live in a time that isn’t now, you are pulling yourself away from the current and not living your life to its full potential. By living in the moment, you give yourself more enjoyment in what is happening around you and will make it a better memory for later on. 

We are also in a moment where it is easy to get stuck on the past or owrry about the future. Being a senior in high school you can think of all the good times that you had while also worrying about what college will bring. While both of these are valid, it is important not to get stuck in those moments. This period of life only happens once, and if you spend it thinking about what could have been or what will be, then you are taking yourself out of the moment and not living it at all. 

After reading about King Lear, I think all students and readers can learn the dangers of trying to fix the past and the positives of living in the moment. Lear’s life got better when he wasn’t worried about what would happen or what had happened. The same applies to all of us, and we should all do our best to do the same as Lear and live in the present.