Dear 2016,

Goodbye. I am sorry that so many people are happy to see you leave. It seems that everyone is blaming you, the year, for their unfortunate troubles and mistakes. Everything that happened was not your fault, I promise.

Yes, many people were taken during your time, including many celebrities who were lost too soon. Some of them died from illnesses and from old age, but others died from their own addictions. A year should not be blamed for the results of people abusing drugs and alcohol. A year also should not be blamed for it being someone's time to go. It is good to mourn, but we should look to the future instead of dwelling on the past.

Yes, many people made mistakes during your time that caused others to suffer. We remember the shootings and murders. We remember the people who were attacked for their beliefs and ways of life. However, we should not blame the year. Instead, we need to find a solution as a society. Together, we need to learn acceptance to get rid of the animosity within our world. 2016, our conflicts between us are not your fault. Hatred is a trait of human beings, not of a year.

Thank you for giving us trials that taught us life lessons that we will each carry with us for the rest of our lives. With every bad experience that we faced, we learned from it and became stronger individuals. Those trials taught us love, willpower, virtues, kindness, and determination. Thank you for making us struggle, because we would not appreciate the sunshine without a little rain.

As I said 2016, you were not a horrible year. Thank you for the beautiful experiences and smiles that you bestowed upon us. Thank you for the wonderful inventions and new minds that came into creation. Yes, many bad things have happened, but we also encountered many triumphs that brought us together. We are all appreciative for that.

I am sorry that mankind blames you for its misfortunes instead of being grateful for the time that is has on this earth. 2016, you are just another year that is part of time. Time is a privilege, and we should all be glad that we got to experience you instead of hating you. Thank you for being you, 2016. I appreciate you, even with your flaws.

Sincerely,

Jasmine Kelley