Last year, 2016, has widely been accepted by millennials as the worst year to date. The internet is full of articles, videos, and even memes illustrating the hate for the past year.  The complaints center around the deaths of celebrities, the presidential election, war, and civil protests over topics like police brutality, LGBTQ+ rights, and the Dakota Access Pipeline.

While people have experienced a great deal of loss this year, the most important aspect of humanity has remained intact: our spirit. The rallies, Facebook posts, and debates over the events that occurred demonstrate the passion that we have retained. Through all of the hardships, we still care.

One of the most terrible situations that I can imagine is a nation full of people who are completely complacent. Not only would there be little change, but the change that would occur people would have no control over. By passionately speaking out against the hardships ourselves and the people around us face, we begin to change our reality. Even though they can be hard to witness, especially if you do not agree with the opinion of the opposition, they are an indicator of our free will and our willingness to take action against practices we believe are unjust.

Not only have we kept our ability to express our opinions and change our national situation, we also have the privilege to experience beauty on a regular basis. Even amongst the fear, frustration, and confusion, the people of the United States continue to show love for one another. There are smiles, fist bumps, and handshakes, even amongst contrasting political opponents. Strangers still let us pet their dogs when we see them on the street, snow still falls, and we can watch the sun rise. We have the freedom to love and connect with whomever we want. These are the experiences that actually make life worth living, and we still have them. I, personally, lived through every one of those lovely experiences in 2016.

In addition to that, I have become so much more aware of the world and who I am. I have grown as a person in 2016, and I wouldn’t change that for the world. Despite the many hardships encapsulated in the year, I would never choose to erase it from time. 2016 was a year of growth, passion, and beauty. Even though it was difficult to handle, every hardship contains the possibility for improvement.