My little brother sat in my car rating our year

"To be completely honest, I would give my personal year an 8/10, but I would give the world around me a 3/10." I said as the 11 year old quickly replied "Same!"

As Kylie Jenner once iconically said, "2016 will be the year of realizing things," and no matter how dumb she sounded in that interview she was right! I really began to realize things. I became more aware of the world around me, and realized that I play an important role in many peoples' lives. I cut toxic people out of my life, and became more "woke." 2016 taught me that I am a strong person-- mentally and physically--it taught me to have no judgement, and to not see myself with such a critical eye. I was able to love the body I'm in and the melanin in my skin, which is something i've struggled with my entire life. I began to use the voice I was born with.

My plans for 2017, are: to continue to evolve into the best version of myself, to assist those around me, and to continue to be resilient no matter what life decides to throw my way. And, to say I'm not weary of the future for our country would be a lie, but I promise to continue to spread love and acceptance.