Perhaps you met Alina
[Procopiescu], perhaps she has been one of your best friends, perhaps you only
heard of her, and perhaps you have no idea who she is… Whatever the case might
be, let me tell you a story about a life lived at its maximum, a person that
tried to make this world better… a narrative about the life lessons that we are
given unexpectedly.
She was one of my best friends,
my room-mate in the dorms for almost two years, my group colleague in
university, my hard-working partner in the projects we had to deliver… And now
she is not here anymore. She passed away
in a tragic car accident on the 13th of March 2014. I remember that
night so clear, standing on the chair, in our room, scared about what might
have happened and hearing the voice in the phone: “Alina is not anymore. She
died.”… and then starring at her bed, incapable of processing the information… While
now, after six months, I became accustomed to the idea in a way, I still find
the event unbelievable.
What did she leave behind? A lot…
a lot… considering that she was not even 22 years old when the accident
happened. She was committed to bringing change in the world, for her it wasn’t
just an ideal scratched on paper; it was something she believed in. Alina
thought that the best way to accomplish her mission was through the
international youth-run organization AIESEC. She loved this community and she
dedicated so much time to it! When she passed away, she had just finished her
one-year experience in the Executive Board of AIESEC Bucharest and she had just
been elected for a position of vice-president at the national level. In the future, she dreamed of travelling to
India. She was so ambitious and hard-working that I am sure she wouldn’t have
stopped here… she would have gone really far! She was dedicated especially to
the area of Outgoing Volunteering Exchange(GCDP) so, in case you will ever
follow such a program of AIESEC, think of her! And, of course, Alina was also
one of the best students in university and all the professors knew her. Who
could not remember that long-haired girl that always sat in the first row,
raising her hand constantly and trying eagerly to find answers to any problem.
I remember all the small things
that made our relationship unique. We were in the same time very similar
(ambitious, hard-working, energetic) but also different regarding the daily
habits. She always strrrrronly disagreed with me waking up so early, like 8 a.m.,
because she always wanted to sleep as long as possible and me, with all my
activities in the room, disturbed her sleep. Actually, a few days before she
passed away, we had reached an agreement that I wouldn’t wake up earlier than 9
a.m.… I keep in mind the days and nights that we spent planning and doing our
projects, carefully splitting our work using even spreadsheets (which she
loved, by the way). She always left for me the introductions and conclusions,
she did not like them. And I remember one of her favorite meals: salad!! I guess
due to her I also got now this habit of eating salad as a meal itself almost
every day. And there are so many more small things I remember about her, that I
would probably write a book…
This article is a tribute to her
memory, an attempt to pass on her legacy. Do everything you like, everything
you are passionate about, now!! Set high goals for yourself and work hard
achieving them! Always care about the people around you, help them, try to be
an inspiration for them and as well get inspired by them. Believe in leadership
and try to lead by example! I did
not mention yet, but the cause of her accident was the fact that she had been
hit by a car while passing the street in a forbidden place, not on the
crosswalk, at 1 a.m., in a very central and busy area at night. So, take care
about these things – we always think it is not going to happen to us, until one
moment… She died happy! – Just a few hours before the accident happened, she
had talked to her sister briefly, telling her how happy she was… Well, in the
end, you cannot predict what is going to happen tomorrow; you cannot be sure
100% about anything, so live your life happily! Real life shows these are not
just some random inspirational words.
This picture has been taken just a few days before she passed away (with her new haircut).
Alina was known and loved by incredibly
many persons… At a moment when many of us were still grieving and in a day when
she should have celebrated her 22nd birthday, we launched lights
(Ro: lampioane) in her memory. We have been there about 40 persons. I hope that
these lights at least made her smile up there in the sky… Here you have a short
video from our meeting.
Some days ago I watched a movie
that made me question myself again about the way we live our lives, about the
way I live my own life in the end… It was a beautiful story of a young surfer
who dreamed to surf mavericks and who eventually work tried to achieve his
dream. Unfortunately, a few years later, when he was only 22, he died in the Maldives while free diving. What remained into my mind about this
person was his happiness, his passion, his determination and courage… I totally
recommend you to see this movie (“Chasing Mavericks”). It has a very strong message and the story, through its beauty and tragic, quickly connected to my memories of Alina.
On the 6th of
September, her family will commemorate 6 months from the moment Alina passed
away. Unfortunately, I will not be able to be there, since I am currently in
Vienna, but I decided to write this article with the hope that one of the best
things that we can do is to try to keep alive the memory of the ones that we loved...
In the end, I want to leave here a citation that Alina loved and which, in the
end, reflects her life…
“Shoot for the moon.
Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars!”
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