This article DOES contain Endgame spoilers. If you have not seen it and are still planning to, PLEASE do not read any further. You have been warned.

When I was 12 years old, I saw the very first Avengers movie in theaters with my mom and best friend at the time. If I'm being honest, at that point I didn't really know anything about superheroes or the MCU, and I hadn't really even seen any of the other Marvel superhero movies that were out at that point. However, once I saw that first Avengers movie, I was hooked.

I went back and watched all of the movies before the Avengers, and I found myself getting really excited every time a new Marvel movie would come out. My little sister became an even bigger and more extreme fan than me, and it became a family tradition to watch superhero movies together. It was (and still is) not uncommon for you to walk into our house and hear us debating about characters or discussing fan theories about the MCU.

I found myself becoming attached to the MCU characters. I related to them, and I was genuinely invested in their fates. I knew they were fictional, but that didn't stop me from crying when they got injured in one of the movies.

I full on sobbed in the theater when Black Panther was dusted in Infinity War because he was my favorite. I remember grabbing my sister's arm and seeing that she was sobbing too when Spider-Man told Tony he was sorry, and you can bet I full on SCREAMED when they both came back with everyone in Infinity War.

Growing up, I was a huge nerd. From the time I was in the third or fourth grade, people would make fun of me for caring so much about my grades and being a "try hard." As I got older, people didn't really outright make fun of me anymore, but it was still obvious to me that people thought I cared too much.

I was okay with that, and I like to think that a big part of my being okay with it came from the portrayal of superheroes in the MCU that were just like me. Heroes like Captain America, who was literally bullied and denied for being "weak" and ended up being one of the strongest Avengers, both mentally and physically.

Heroes like Black Widow, who overcame her rocky past to become so loyal to the good that she gave her life for it. Heroes like Spider-Man, who never gives up even when things seem hopeless.

The MCU taught me that it's okay to be a little bit weird or nerdy. It's okay to care, and it doesn't matter if other people think you care too much. It's okay to fight for what you know is right, even if you feel like you don't stand a chance.

The MCU taught me that teamwork is so important and that what's meant to be will always find a way. The MCU showed me that a true friend will always come when you need them, even if you don't see eye to eye on everything.

So thank you, Marvel. Thank you to original 7 (because Stan Lee deserves to be considered an original avenger too) for introducing me to this beautiful universe. Thank you to the new guys, like Black Panther and Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, for showing me what it means to be truly good.

Thank you to the women of the MCU, for teaching me, (and millions of little girls around the world.) that strong powerful women will always get the job done. Thank you to Loki, for showing me that even villains can change. Thank you to Thanos, for teaching me that just because I think I am right, doesn't always mean I am.

Thank you to the Guardians of the Galaxy, for reminding me that family isn't always about blood. Thank you to the Russo Brothers, for playing with my emotions in the best possible way during Infinity War and Endgame.

Thank you all for reminding me that even though we all want a happy ending, life just doesn't roll that way sometimes. I can never thank this franchise enough for helping teach a nerdy, weird, overly dramatic 12-year-old that just because I wasn't cool, didn't mean I couldn't grow up to do some pretty cool things.

Part of the journey is the end, and I'm forever thankful to have gotten to be there for that end.