I may only be nineteen, but despite being so young, I think I've learned a lot over the course of my life.

I've learned the typical things, like your ABC's, how to ride a bike, more recently how to do my taxes (thank you, Turbo Tax; #notspon).

But one thing I've learned that I've always kept close to me is the importance of compassion.

I really do think that the character you build yourself to be over the myriad of your relationships throughout life overlaps one another, like a Venn-Diagram; some characteristics you share within your relationships with multiple people, others are unique to one person.

One thing that I've found to be truthful in all circumstances regarding my character is my ability and my willingness to care for others, whether I've known them forever or just for a few minutes.

Recently, I've had something weighing on my heart.

I know that there are many people who come and go within life.

From friends to boyfriends/girlfriends, to family members—sometimes, the people you least expect to leave are the ones that actually do. Oftentimes, you're left feeling like you didn't get enough time with them.

And for a while, it sucks. I lost a few friends that I thought were great for me during my freshman fall semester. I've lost boyfriends in the past out of no fault of my own, or theirs. Some of the people I thought would be in my life forever somehow just drifted away—and that's okay.

The important part of each and every one of the relationships I've cultivated in my life, whether they exist today or not, is that if they were to come to me for help in any fashion, I would be there for them.

I believe that it takes a lot of courage to ask for help because in the eyes of some, being dependent on others makes you weak. In fact, the very opposite is true. You are so strong for asking for help when you need it. I commend anyone who comes to me after having severed ties, for whatever reason it may be.

I don't have any bad blood in my life; there is not a single person that did me wrong for which I don't still wish well. I want the best for each and every person I've encountered because even if the relationship or the friendship didn't work, I still gained something out of it, and I'm sure they did too.

I am a work in progress myself; I get angry, I get sad, I get upset and lash out when I shouldn't. I'm nowhere near perfect.

But one thing I love about who I am that has never wavered is my compassion. My ability to see things from another person's perspective.

I think being able to set aside your own problems for a moment in order to make someone else feel a little bit better is not only the characteristic of someone with a genuine heart, but it is also just a gratifying experience. Sometimes, you might even be the person needing some compassion.

What I'm trying to say is this: even if we haven't spoken in years, or we only speak every so often, anyone who finds themselves needing a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen to them or a heart to provide advice can always find that in me.