This past year deserves no less than a thank you, and that is exactly what this is.

Thank you for forgiveness, and thank you for the times I didn't have forgiveness.

Thank you for the gain and loss of friends, for the ones who taught me how to forget death and the ones who taught me how to live again.

For the sore ribs from laughter and the tears that aided rivers
Or the ones that showed me I was worth more than a grain of sand and made of a billion stars.

I thank you for the heart breaks and the late night calls that saved my life
And the scars that helped me heal faster, even though they displayed my weakness like a showcase.

Thank you for the moment I realized the difference between friendship and manipulation, for the nights I kept my mouth closed and the nights I stood up for myself.

Thank you for the walks home I spent contemplating my life, as cars sped by and showed me a side of death I'd never met before.

For the overflowing thoughts and the scratches on my back from the anger and tears I fought against
And the times my heart skipped a beat when she said my name.

Thank you for the moments I enjoyed being in the company of others, especially the ones who fluttered my stomach and brightened my eyes.

Thank you for the ones who tore me apart in order to teach myself that I'm an individual who needs to support themselves first, instead of the ones who chose to leave me behind.

Thank you for showing me that others' situations are not my own, and not to jump into them if they don't need my assistance.

Thank you for the sickness that brought me to life.
Thank you for the friends who opened my eyes.
Thank you for the hours I spent learning to drive,
and for the silence that clawed at my mind.
Thank you for the advice you've given to me.
Thank you for the nights I closed my eyes instead of staying awake.

Thank you for all the days you've given me something to smile about, and for the times I've rolled the window down trying to recreate the feeling of youth.

Thank you for the days I could be myself, and for the ones who accept me as no one else but that.

Thank you for the months that bring me to pieces, so I can continue to learn how to build myself back up with no instruction manual.

Thank you for teaching me how to be human again, because these past few years I've lost myself in the passings and never knew how to let go of that insane mindset that held me in its grasp.

Every year has changed the way I've lived, but none in which were for the good.

This year was different.
Thank you for being that year.