This month, January of 2019, marks 10 months since I’ve jumped on the most emotional roller coaster I’ve experienced in my life. The surgery was in March of 2018, and back then I had no idea what to expect as I went into a 12 month journey to find my way back to where I was before it happened. I heard ACL tears are common, and the surgery isn’t too bad. I quickly learned to not listen to what other people say. The surgery went well, but I discovered right away that everyone is going to have different experiences, different symptoms and different emotions; I had to tackle the recovery on my own. The first week was hard-- I expected the next 12 months to be the same. Some days were better than others, but overall, the whole journey made me feel strong and empowered. My friends and family helped me tremendously throughout the whole process--way more than I could have hoped. However, I started to think about the amount of people who didn’t know how hard the recovery had been for me or how hard I had worked to get back to where I was 10 months ago. This experience has taught me that there could be so much going on in someone’s life that nobody knows about. There were times when I would get in my own head and convince myself that I would never be able to do the things I used to, but when someone would say something kind to me or help motivate me, not even aware of how upset I might have been, my mood would completely shift, and I would have hope. If people could wrap their minds around that fact that everyone is going through a hard situation, no matter how extreme, and being kind can change someone’s entire day, the whole world could change. Of the many problems we are going through this day in age, 75 percent of them could be solved with one word--kindness. Anne Frank believed that we need to shift to more of an inclusive society, and I couldn’t agree more. Every single person is different, yet every single person who is kind and doing their best to live the life they deserve should be treated with the same kindness and respect. I believe that one person single-handedly changing the world is nearly impossible, but one person can change someone else’s life, which is so important and comes with such a rewarding feeling. I do believe that the world can change, though. But in order to do that, everyone must work together to spread love, positivity, and kindness. Everyone is struggling through a situation that we know nothing about, so if everyone can be kind to one another, the world will change.