I remember last New Years very vividly. I remember driving to River’s house and watching movies and just trying to stay awake until midnight because I was exhausted from the day. I distinctly remember the fear I felt for 2016. The steps I would have to take, the moments I would have, and the “last firsts” and my “first lasts” I would have to anticipate. But now, hours before the end of 2016, I feel nothing but gratitude. I feel nostalgia for those moments I couldn’t wait have to end, and all of those big steps I just jumped right over. 2016 was hard for many, including myself, but I cannot help but say that 2016 was the beginning of an era for me.
Some of the biggest parts of 2016 are tied to personal things I felt or lessons I learned, and while many, maybe even myself, grieve or fear what is to come in 2017, I am hopeful. I am happy. Donald Trump’s victory, while at the time was frightening, caused me to reevaluate where I put my trust and taught me what I can do to make a change in the world that I am in. The transition to college taught me that I am going to find my place, no matter where I am. I have had a hard time making and keeping friends for years, but I know now that I can still do it, even when I struggle. And the evolution of my relationship with River made us closer and more of a unit. I am blessed with a wonderful man in my life, who chooses time and time again to stick around when things get hard. 2016 was a year of wildest dreams. I graduated high school, and while that was never in question for myself, it was a day that would never come until it had gone by. I went to a music festival that I had dreamed of going to since freshman year, with River by my side, where we met some of our favorite artists and drank more water than I thought possible. I saw what River’s face looked like when there was nothing but him and the music in his head. I witnessed the joy that he felt, and I miss that. I miss Dallas and Warped. I traveled across the country to the very edge of California and stood firm where buildings would have crumbled. I stood on a pier that was (what seemed like) a million miles above the green sea. I grew and I learned and I explored. One cannot talk about 2016 without the loss of the great, great people that passed: Prince, Carrie Fisher, David Bowie, Gene Wilder, Alan Rickman, Kenny Baker (who was R2-D2, for those who never heard). And while those eras came to an end, it only allows for other greats to come forward and change others’ lives. There will never be another Prince. There will never be another Princess Leia. But they did what they were supposed to, and they were great for many, many reasons. Someone, somewhere was inspired by the great people that passed in 2016, and will change the world in their minute or gigantic way. And they will die, like the greats before them did, and another generation will be where we are now. It’s the circle of life, and maybe those who passed this last year got out at the right time. They may have died in their prime, instead of when there was nothing left for them to influence. In reflection, I want you to ask yourself what things happened in 2016 that influenced your life forever. Instead of cursing 2016, take it as a learning year. Realize where we could have been a little nicer, opened our minds a little wider, and questioned a little bit more. There are things that happened this last year that you can be grateful for, I guarantee. I know it was a hard year, but like every other thing, this too shall pass. 2016 is over. 2017 is beginning. Take what you did or did not do in 2016 and use it to motivate you. This time next year, what will you be grateful for?
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AuthorGabrielle Willingham is a young Arkansan woman who sees the importance of simultaneous cynicism and optimism. Gabrielle is currently working on a MA in Communication with a focus in gender studies and political science. Archives
January 2021
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