2021 was a year of many things. I, like many others, have felt lost this year.

 I also learned a few things. For starters, it was hard to remember that mostly everyone around the globe was  experiencing the same things as me. And this helped me a lot this year, because though I did have a really hard time, everything could always have been worse. So I would say this year taught me to be grateful! To just push through and eventually I will have the greatly needed summer break!

I also learned that the best person in your life will likely be yourself, so I had to make sure I took care of myself. During the time I got from the pandemic, I had time to connect more with my family, and simple things like saying hi and bye before they left to work had more meaning. I lost my grandma recently and though we tried to be prepared, the real deal always hurts more than you’d think. Weirdly, the funeral was not sad like you’d expect. Yes, we cried and mourned, but I have a family that is able to turn sad moments into something beautiful, and I’m grateful for that! My grandma’s saying was “palante!” In English it means keep moving forward, and it reminds me that though this year was rough and painful, time keeps moving, and with time comes a form of healing that can only come if you allow it.