Ahh, 2017, you were looked forward to since the beginning of 2016.

2016 was filled with too many griefs. News reports were constantly telling us about murders, racial injustice, celebrity deaths (way too many), natural disasters, politics (you know how that went), and just anything in-between. Things just seemed so gray and somber during the year and it may have been caused by the events of infamous 2016. There were many nice things too, but everyone knows 2016 was a year everybody wanted to end.

Personally, 2016 made me more responsible and made me feel like I was actually adulting. I finished my first year of college, I trained to become a leader for my school's freshman orientation, I handled a lot of finances on my own with the school's financial aid office *shudders*, and learned how to do a lot of other things on my own. There were times when I went through tremendous emotional and spiritual growth, which only strengthened my positivity. The people I had conversations with shared personal changes in their lives, and I was able to connect with them on points that I never thought I would. I have never been through a year so crazy that has changed me so much as a person. Yes, that sounds like a cliché, but it's true because it has happened to so many people, and I'm not alone in this. In everyone's lives, there is something that can cause a dramatic twist in the routines we live in day-by-day. We will experience something that will change us, if not a lot, slightly.

So when New Year's Day rolled around, I took the time to say thank you to the most horrible year of my life. I thanked the year for everything it has taught me, for the people I have met, the new friends, the positivity gained from my setbacks, and for my friends and family. Don't get me wrong, I experienced many joys and went on tons of amazing adventures. And I am extremely grateful for those times. Also, I got to see my favorite band in concert for the third time after a three-year hiatus. That's always nice.

Instead of saying, "New year, new me!", I'll say, "New year, same me, but with a breath of fresh air and confidence." I always remind myself too, that with God, all things are possible. And ultimately, He gets all of my thanks for the many blessings and comfort He has given me.