When I was little, I was really loud. Like insanely loud actually, and my family hated it.

When I was little, there were times I would have too much sugar and I would run around my house like a lit fuse and everyone would say, "oh no Kimi had too much sugar again."

But no matter what, I was always smiling, always laughing, but always observing. I had a different home life than what my friends had, I listened to the arguments and I saw the tears. I learned at an early age that not everything is always perfect, but it can come close if you want it enough.

I think back to my childhood and I remember the days I spent in my cul-de-sac trying to learn how to use my pogo stick and the nights I spent catching fireflies and counting stars. I remember the mornings I spent watching cartoons eating the sugariest snacks I could find, I miss coming home from school and my biggest worry being which toy I wanted to play with first. I was happy because no one likes a miserable elementary school kid and because I loved seeing that smile. I was sad when I had to be and cried when I needed to, but I never let it ruin me.

But as I think back I also remember the nights I sat up listening to the yelling or wondering why I didn't live with both of my parents like all of my friends did. I grew up understanding that things don't always go your way, and I grew up knowing that sometimes the people that you love the most hurt you the worst. I learned hard lessons at a young age and I am nothing more than grateful because it's helped me tremendously in my young-adult life. It helped me understand that things go wrong and they get hard but that's never a reason to give up.

Having the childhood that I did makes me realize that going through hardships makes you stronger, and perseverance will always be a superpower. Even through the endeavors, and the heartbreaks, and the challenges and the stress you always have yourself and you always have the power to take situations and flip them and make them yours to conquer.

My childhood was hard at points, but at other times it was amazing. I could look back and remember the nights I spent crying and scared, or the times I felt alone or I could remember the times I would laugh so hard I would start crying or the times I would run around my backyard laughing and smiling... and I choose to remember the good times.

So here's to my childhood, thank you for teaching me the absolute best lessons. Thank you for giving me some great stories and thank you for allowing me to have experiences that'll carry me through my life. On the days I want to give up and lose all hope I remember everything you did for me and I remember that if I can get through the things you handed me, I can get through anything. So, I'm grateful for everything that you were but also grateful that it is over and I'm now saying hello to adulthood- and I hope it's just as outstanding.