I hate how everything is dull and empty, lifeless and deprived of color, boring and saddening. Winter and the beginning of spring are my least favorite seasons because they follow the most beautiful time of the year.

Summer is full of bright-colored leaves, trees growing high above our heads, and a light breeze that pushes the hair from out of my face. Whenever I think of summer, I think of a time where I was happy for no reason and when my eyes saw the vibrant colors of the grass, leaves, and sky.

I look forward to summer each year, not just because of school coming to an end for a couple of months, but because the world is so much more during the summer; I am so much more during the summer.

But sometimes it’s worth the time to take a look deeper and appreciate what you have around you.

Although the sky is gray, I always appreciate it more when the sun comes out for a few hours that day. And while the trees are empty, it makes it easier to see the brightly colored birds when they come back in early spring. 

At first glance, I hate everything about winter and early spring, but there is more to every story and something to love and see within everyday life; I feel like this goes for people as well.

You think you know something about someone because you heard one thing they said or heard one awful rumor about them, but what if it wasn’t true or if it was just bad timing? You think you know someone based on an Instagram post or a comment they made in class, but what would you find if you looked a little deeper?

The girl that wears a lot of makeup—so she must be insecure—just has chosen makeup as her art and her passion. The guy that is really mean to everyone has never been shown kindness. The girl that is rather quiet and never speaks up for herself prefers to not start a fight and instead find the good in everyone.

Looks and simple actions can be deceiving, but when you truly look closer and get to know someone, you can find that they have amazing qualities and that he or she is actually likable no matter what you thought at first.

Our society is so set on first impressions, how people look, and what that makes them. I could be the nicest person in the world and make one rude comment without realizing, and instantly, to someone who doesn’t know me, I’m the meanest person they have ever met.

If 2020 is going to be all about change and acceptance, the first thing we should get rid of is deciding who someone is before getting to know them.

I may hate a lot of things about winter and early spring, but there are also so many things I can look forward to and smile about when I think of those times.

If you take the time to look a little deeper and truly get to know someone, you’ll find he or she isn’t at all what you once thought.