Something very historical and yet very controversial happened this week in America. Maybe you heard about it? Donald Trump was elected president on Tuesday. I know shocker, but that is not what this article is about.

This is a thank you note to everyone who has ever impacted my life, whether I know you personally or not and whether you impacted me in a good way or bad way. Yes, this thank you does, in fact, include the results and the aftermath of what happened on Tuesday.

Let's start at the beginning. Thank you, Sunday school teacher when I was 2; thank you for nurturing me and starting the growth of a very crucial part of my life. Thank you for being kind and not getting too upset when I didn't want my siblings to leave. Thank you for ministering to me, starting when I was 2. You are still very important to me and I still enjoy your smiling face and warm hugs to this day. So thank you for introducing me to Jesus.

Thank you, private Christian school, for being a place of education and shelter. Thank you for providing 2 of my best friends and also for the bullies. Believe it or not, I am very thankful for those taunts and teasing. I am very thankful that I got made fun of and hurt because it grew my tough skin. It taught me how to be strong. It helped me later on in life. Thank you for continuing my faith and for teaching me that I hate uniforms.

Thank you, charter school, for teaching me that I was very sheltered. Thank you for showing me that not everyone shares the same beliefs and opinions that I do and that I should be willing to hear them out. Thank you for building my open mind.

Thank you, Mrs. Hamm (2nd-grade teacher), for growing my love of writing. Thank you for seeing that I loved telling stories and bringing that out in me. Thank you for growing my potential and believing in me. Thank you for helping me find a voice through paper and teaching me that my opinion does matter.

Thank you, 4th and 5th grade, for being the worst years of my elementary school life. Thank you for showing me how ruthless girls are. Thank you for showing me that I needed to protect my heart. Thank you for teaching me that taking the high road works. Thank you for instilling in me that even though it sucks, I need to always treat others the way that I want to be treated even when others don't reciprocate.

Thank you, public school, for showing me my true potential. Thank you for teaching me that I can make true friends and that I am capable of being liked. Thank you for giving me opportunities that I thought I would never have. Thank you for showing me that I am smart and that even though I don't perform in the top tier that I am still intelligent.

Thank you, Mrs.Hosier (my 8th-grade drama teacher), for building my passion for acting. I always loved acting and pretending, but it wasn't until your class that I found my true potential and love. Thank you for believing in me and building my talent. Thank you for teaching me to never give up and that I can do what I put my mind to, and I am truly creative.

Thank you, High School, for teaching me that I don't have to do much work to get good grades. Thank you for teaching me that I can do the bare minimum and still graduate with a 3.4 GPA. I could have done much better if I applied myself. Thank you for teaching me that I am good at math and history and science and that english (except for writing) is not my strong suite. Thank you for teaching me that having a few close friends is way better than having a million acquaintances.

Thank you, 4c's (my church home), for being my second home. Thank you for being a safe place. Thank you for being a place for me to grow up and learn. Thank you for being a place where my greatest friendships were formed. Thank you for allowing me to explore my own faith. Thank you for the opportunities to serve because I found out I really love serving. Thank you for teaching me how to be welcoming and accepting of others.

Thank you, family, for sharing your opinions and thoughts with me. Thank you for allowing me to form my own opinions and ideas. Thank you for showing me that it's okay to stand firm in your beliefs and that healthy arguing can be good. Thank you for forcing me to grow up. Sometimes I resented having to be mature, but now I am very grateful for it. I am grateful for the age gap because I am able to relate with people so much better. I can actually carry on conversations with people older than me without it being uncomfortable.

Thank you, America. Thank you for being oppressing. Thank you for insulting people whose opinions don't coincide with your own. Thank you for teaching me to be scared to share my thoughts out loud if they are not the same thoughts as the majority. Thank you for showing me what it looks like when adults act like children. Thank you for showing me what a nation-wide tantrum looks like. Thank you so much for being so judgmental, the same judgmental that you accuse the church of being. Thank you for showing me how to hate. Thank you for showing me what it looks like to be unaccepting.

Thank you, Government, for showing me what a nation divided looks like. Thank you for teaching me that rules don't apply to people in the position of power. Thanks for teaching me that, no matter what age you get to be, the bullying doesn't stop. Thank you for teaching me that checks and balances are for the weak and that I can do whatever I want when I'm at the top. Thank you for teaching me that it is okay to steal from others. Thank you for teaching me that hard work doesn't mean anything anymore. Thank you for teaching me that no matter what, my opinion doesn't matter because it is not the popular one.

Lastly, thank you, 2016 Election. Thank you for confirming everything that I believe in. Thank you for confirming that I will continue to be loving and accepting and strong and unjudgemental and passionate and most importantly, that I will continue to treat others how I want to be treated, and that is with love and kindness.