However, this enlightenment was not all sour. There was a light in all the darkness. It helped me realize the true strength we have as humans. The things we not only endure, but all that we overcome. It helped me appreciate not only my own life, but other peoples. I gained respect for others, and most of all I learned the meaning behind empathy and compassion. You never know what any single person you come across is facing at that moment, and we are all battling this battle, we might as well battle it together. Furthermore, I learned to be nice and courteous to everyone you come across, that your pure smile may just brighten a suffering person’s day. “Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive” (Dalai Lama). As stated by the Dalai Lama, we cannot survive as humans without love and compassion. Throughout all the trauma and negativity in the world, there is good. The ying and the yang, the perfect balance. I had to experience the bad to appreciate the good. My cave is expanded, and my fire is burned out, and a new fire is ignited, and now that newfound light is what surrounds and warms