“I feel like every year has a new energy, and I feel like this year is really about, like, the year of realizing stuff. And everyone around me, we’re all just, like, realizing things,” a wise woman, named Kylie Jenner, once said. Well, as much as people made fun of Kylie for her 2016 New Years resolution- she may have been right. For a lot of americans, I think this year has been a shit storm of bad news, first a large gorilla named Harambe dies and then a slightly racist/sexist oompa loompa was elected President of the United States. But, above all of the tragedy and shameless memes, there is a light that comes from the darkness. I realize (thank you Kylie) how incredibly blessed I am.
As 2017 is quickly approaching and the NYE celebrations are close to being underway, I briefly found myself in a panic. I am a little bit embarrassed to admit, but it was about the realization that- again there will be no one to kiss when the ball drops.
I allowed myself a second or two to wallow in self pity and then I snapped right out of it. I have come so far this year, I am confident in where I am at in my life and beyond grateful for the people in it. To all of those people out there who also had this guilty thought. It’s okay. It is normal to wish you had another half to celebrate the year with. But you know what is also okay? Being a kick ass human and taking a shot for yourself and your accomplishments this year at midnight instead. Maybe you ran a marathon, or got a 4.0, or stayed at Grottos for 12 hours, or maybe you just didn’t text back that f-boy at 2:00 a.m. (even if you wanted to.) YOU did it! You made 2016 your bish in whatever little or big way. And that my friends, is something to cheers to.
So thank you 2016, thank you for the memories. Thank you for the friends I made, the friends lost, the laughs that were had, the hearts that broke, the terrible beauty and the endless love for life. You may have – in theory – been a pretty messed up year. But you made me realize stuff, so really, thank you.