There aren’t enough words to express or describe the amount of gratitude I give to myself. The amount of hardships and battles I had to face on my own and deal with consumed me as if someone was suffocating me to death. As a start, I mostly thank myself for slowly crawling my way through like a turtle to the finish line of finishing and completing my college degree. Being financially broke, struggling with money, having no job, and living with a parent while being a full-time online student. However, having so much support around me was the glue I needed to have the strength to see it through. I thank myself for continuously confronting death with those so close to me but silently dealing with the fact of thinking, who else will I lose someday? The way it suddenly hits me hard at certain moments is like an ocean wave crashing to shore as a result of a hurricane. My grandfather, my Godmother, my Great Aunt, my cousin; all people who I’ve recently lost and have devastated me. I thank myself for coming to terms with the mistakes I’ve made which make me stronger. No one on this Earth is perfect, but like a phoenix, I continuously rise from the ashes. I thank myself for not bottling up my heart and giving love a second chance when I was afraid. Knowing I made mistakes, but the man I love did too, and bad things occurred. In the end, if you still are deeply in love with that person, what’s stopping you? A love that feels so true and so rare is hard to find, like a diamond in a mine, and I will do anything to protect the love I have for my special someone. I thank myself for gaining more confidence in myself no matter how I look. To glance at my reflection at my most vulnerable each day in the mirror and say ‘I am beautiful’ with a smile on my face. Finally, I thank myself for not giving up and persistently working hard by pushing myself to do better. There’s always light at the end of the tunnel, and I try to keep it in my mind to see it through to the end. As a whole, a quote from Harry Potter, spoken by Albus Dumbledore, is something I’ll always live by as long as I try, “Happiness can be found even in the darkest of times, if one only remembers to turn on the light.” Thank you me, thank you for everything this year you’ve shown me.