Ah, 2017. A year of new possibilities, hope for a brighter future, and the opportunity to improve ourselves for the better. But can that apply to the whole country, too?
As each calendar year begins, all we hear about is this concept of "new year, new me," prompting us to think we can make changes in our lives to be better people and reach the goals we have set.
Of course, many of these goals are never met; as the year goes on, we lose our resolve and give up on staying faithful to our New Year's resolutions. But let's not allow this to happen with our country.
This year will bring in many changes for the United States. Whether you believe these will be positive changes or not, it's important that we all work together, making sure that the changes being made will benefit the country as a whole.
Due to a certain election that occurred recently, we essentially will be living in a new country. Maybe not a shiny, just-out-of-its-package country, but different all the same.
This is not intended to be a political article, but one that encourages cooperation and kindness from both sides of our deeply divided political stances. If we all cared about the success and progress of the United States as much as we say we do, then it should not be so difficult to change the country for the better.
But this progress is much easier said than done. The 2016 presidential election is just one huge factor that helps prove this point. Tensions have risen to all-time highs, further enhancing the political, social, and religious rifts among our citizens.
If we continue on this path of divisiveness, I am afraid that the future we are building for generations to come will be scarred by the physical and mental wounds we are inflicting on each other.
While I and many other people I know had great experiences in 2016, I think the majority of us can agree that this was not the case with the United States as a whole. Regardless of your opinions about the outcome of the election, a lot of crappy stuff happened this year.
However, I always choose to focus on what was good, and keep these positive thoughts for the year to come. Even though I am not psyched about what our new president brings to the table, I will strive to hold on to the hope that we can overcome the great divide that keeps us from understanding one another.
Deep down, don't we all just want to be happy, healthy, and loved? Shouldn't we want that to apply to everyone, no matter what they believe or which political party they support?
So let's all work together to make 2017 a year to remember. One we can be proud to tell future generations about; how we came together as a nation to realize that we should all be working towards the same goal. That's my resolution.
