Almost everyone has heard the saying, "The best things in life are free." Some people believe it, some people roll their eyes at it. I truly believe that the best things in life ARE free.

This past year has been a rollercoaster of a year for me. There have been ups and downs, which I would describe as mountains and valleys. Through this journey, I have learned to appreciate the small things, and that the best things in life really are free.

Think of a time when you were laughing with your friends. When your stomach hurt from laughing so much, and you had tears in your eyes. When anything was funny. When someone said something that made whatever it was even funnier than it already was. That moment you are thinking of, that treasured time was free. That laughter you shared amongst your friends wasn't paid for or bought. It came to you completely free.

Think of a time you felt completely at peace. Sometimes it's going for a walk by yourself. Sometimes it's just chilling at home. That peaceful, zen feeling makes you feel so content. It makes you feel like everything will be okay. It makes you just go with the flow, and believe that eventually, it will all work out. Those times when that feeling overtook you were free. You may have paid to go to a place, like the beach, where you got that zen feeling, but you never did pay for the feeling itself. That feeling came to you. You may think you bought that feeling, but you really only paid for the place you were when you got that feeling, if you did pay to go somewhere. That feeling was free.

Think of a time you got into an argument with someone you love. Now, think of when you resolved that argument. When they regained your trust, and you regained theirs. When the conflict was in the past, and you both put it behind you like nothing had happened. That feeling of no longer being angry, of no longer holding a grudge, overtook you, like a wave at the beach. That feeling when your heart feels so much lighter. The way that felt was free. Resolving a conflict and the sense of reassurance and happiness that comes to you was not something you bought. The way you felt after is something money can't buy; it's something you cannot put a price tag on.

All of those feelings are something just about everyone has felt on some level or another. The way those things make you feel can't compare to anything you could buy. These feelings are some of the best feelings, and make you feel so happy and light, like a weight was lifted off your shoulders. The best things in life truly are free.