2016, I think we can all agree, was a pretty horrible year, for people all over the world.

The United Kingdom had its Brexit referendum and voted to leave the European Union, the United States had one of the most divisive and controversial elections in history, and terrorist attacks happened all over the world. We lost more famous people than we can count, including Prince, David Bowie, Alan Rickman, and Carrie Fisher. Homophobia, Islamophobia, racism, and sexism all seemed to be more prevalent than in past years. It seemed like the year was full of one catastrophe after another, and we couldn’t seem to escape any of it.

One of my high school English teachers once told me that when a Shakespeare character is bid farewell, you will never see that character again. After such a rough year, I am tempted to say farewell to 2016, in the hopes that we never again see this year or one like it.

But I don't think that's really the best idea. Sure, 2016 might've been a horrible year, but it also brought some incredible things. For me personally, 2016 brought a high school graduation, the start of college, and so many wonderful new friends. And in general, 2016 showed us that anything was possible.

The United States had its first female presidential nominee ever, decided to put a woman on the $20 bill, and won more medals than any other country in the Rio Olympics. We were gifted with another "Star Wars" movie, an Oscar for Leonardo DiCaprio, and a much-anticipated sequel to "Finding Nemo" that lived up to everyone’s expectations. We were given another chance to step into the magical world when "Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" and the first "Fantastic Beasts" movie came out. We saw dramatic advances in science and scientific research, leading to, among other things, finding the gene that’s responsible for ALS. 2016 has left the world better off than it was in so many ways, even if it doesn’t seem like it at times.

That’s why I bid farewell to 2016, but I do so with great caution. While I, like most others, want nothing more than for this year to end and for next year to be better, I recognize that we can’t erase 2016 from our memories. We can’t pretend like this year didn’t happen, and we can’t change anything that’s occurred since the year started.

We should move into 2017 with the hope that no year will ever be as awful as 2016, but we should never forget the events that transpired this year. It’s important not only to remember 2016 but to also remember it as the year that the world and its people proved how tough we are because we didn’t let a few hardships get us down. If we can survive 2016, we can survive anything.