What we see is what we think.

We believe whatever is put on the screen.

We believe whatever someone tells us or shows us.

We don't look deeper.

We don't yearn to learn more.

That is not a bad thing.

 

What we don't know won't hurt us.

What we can't see won't bother us.

 

The way we look at the world is so different.

Different from each other, despite the similarities we share.

This year, I thought I grew.

This year, I thought what made it for me was the way I looked at the world.

I gained new insights,

Of who I wanted to be.

The things I wanted to share,

Were dreams,

Of a beautiful world.

 

Writing also reared,

And I wanted to share.

Thousands of words,

Every single day,

It opened my eyes,

To new possibilities.

 

But toward the end,

The later days of December.

I talked with some friends,

And as I listened to them,

Explain their problems to me,

I realized that I only scratched the surface,

The things I could see.

 

I never thought to read into them,

I never thought they were in dark places,

I never thought I'd hear them cry.

But when I did,

I felt weak,

A little bit different.

These were sides that I'd never seen,

I never thought I'd see.

 

But over a Skype call,

In the privacy of our rooms,

They cried and poured their hearts out,

Asking me what to do.

I did the best that I could,

With the little experience that I had,

I hoped it would help,

But I couldn't speak, when the tears fell.

 

I think the thing that made this year for me,

Wasn't the outrageous elections,

Nor the major world events.

I don't really care about those.

My small mind doesn't let me.

 

I know it sounds selfish,

And I kind of resent it.

Yet,

I won't lie.

 

The tears over a call,

Full of vulnerability.

They opened my eyes,

They made me feel weak,

I yearned for better words,

To appease their broken hearts.

I wanted to be braver,

To speak my mind,

To share with them my feelings,

But I was afraid.

 

So from the beginning,

I knew the ending

My friends have simply refined it,

And I thank them for that.

 

Those feelings they shared,

Those that were left bare,

They led me to my conclusion.

 

As jumbled as this is,

And broken are my thoughts,

Those are the joys of learning,

And of growing up.

 

I know now,

That the things that I see,

Are just one piece of life.

It's feelings,

The emotions,

That I want to share.

It's the things we "can't" see,

That have made my year.