Dear 2016,
It is again that time of the year where we say goodbye to the past 365 days and to begin to plan for the next 365 ahead. This year has been like all the other years. There have been ups and downs. 2016 has brought some of the happiest times, and also some of the worst. But like most people say every year, 2017 will be a new start. But we shouldn't let 2016 go without saying a proper goodbye.
2016, you brought me my graduation from high school. I saw a lot of people on May 31 for the last time, but I can't find a reason to be upset about that. Those people will come back into my life if or when the time is right. I began college in August, and I have met some people that I know I could be long-time friends with. 2016 brought with it a multitude of goodbyes, but just as many introductions. Some of us may be entering 2017 with different people than we entered 2016 with, but sometimes those bittersweet goodbyes are not truly the end.
2016 brought a lot of change for the world. For the United States, some of that change came in the form of the presidential election. This election brought up many discussions, many of them angry and many between friends, family, and classmates. Politics was on the forefront of many people's minds in the United States. People are now, more than ever, unsure of what the next year will hold.
2016 taught me a lot and offered many challenges. I learned to cherish my family and my friends more than ever after seeing people close to me leave this world too soon. I was challenged to practice patience and tolerance for the intolerant.
This past year has brought me more blessings than I can count, but there have been hardships as well. I have learned to accept that there is a plan for me, and I need to trust whatever I am going through is making me a better person, a better family member, and a better friend.
2016, at times you didn't give us the easiest lessons. But you also offered us some of the happiest times. Life itself is all about learning how to be the best you that you can be, and 2016 tested many of us. I can only hope that 2017 will bring more happy times and more lessons.
2016, thank you for your blessings. I hope that they are just as plentiful next year.
Goodbye,
The World
