“You’re the best of us, Miles. You’re on your way. Just keep going.”

This gem of a quote came up when I finally watched Into the Spiderverse. Aside from being a creative and innovative addition to animated films as a whole, it starred Miles Morales… Possibly the most popular version Spiderman to date. He’s a mixed race kid growing up in the Bronx, with all the hopes and dreams of his family riding on his shoulders. Then he has to be Spiderman? Talk about pressure, you’re reading about it from someone who stays in bed for hours when possible.

Though, the reason that quote struck out to me mostly because… Well, I guess I get it. I gained a lot of perspective this year. Earlier in the year, I made a friend who grew up in the ghetto. Her friends and family know her as the one who made it out. She’s one of the more resilient, persistent, and kindest people I know. Her love for people is bigger than her, and if those things aren’t the best in people… Then I don’t know what is. Each of those people from her neighborhood root for her everyday, and will support her and her continued success.

Reflecting on her story got me thinking about my own and how they parallel. What her friends and family want for her are not much different from what my parents want for themselves and for us. Immigrants and their families share my friend’s story and Miles’ story. If they moved on their own, it’s to continue their family’s story in a new place. Many others moved their families here so that their kids could have the best chance at life. Some of them moved away from dangerous areas, poverty, sickness…. Or they moved closer to their dreams, safety, and peace. For parents, each hopes that their kids embody the best of them, and fulfill their potential.

Being the best you isn’t such a unique idea. I read something recently that I loved. It was that each time we looked in the mirror, we should think our faces are our heirlooms, handed down from our ancestors who chose to keep going. Our faces, our color, our voices, our stories run through each fiber and DNA strand of our beings. Kids nowadays are lucky to see their dreams reflected onto screens in characters like Miles. The successes and struggles of our parents and their parents and even theirs are stories that are seen as valid and celebrated. Look how marvelously far we’ve come with sharing our histories and ourselves.

Many of us are on our way to whatever is next in our journeys.

I’ve had a wild, beautiful, crazy year, and I couldn’t be happier. Some downs, but mostly ups, and I’m incredibly grateful. Everyday, I lay in bed and think about how lucky I am that I’m surrounded by loved ones, met great people who challenged and supported me, and was readier than ever for every opportunity that I ran towards. I feel like each year I find different levels of personal accomplishment and inner peace, and I hope to continue that with whatever life throws my way.

For my next year, I hope I can continue to see wonder and joy in the world around me. I hope for health and happiness for the people I love, and that they find success in all their endeavours. I know sometimes the world is awful, but I hope that passionate disagreement and empathy can create something productive. I’ll look for new adventures and exciting happenings. Together, we’ve accomplished so much and we’re all working towards our best.

Miles resonated with me because his parents’ hopes are my parents’ hopes. His story wasn’t about accepting the responsibility of power, but instead about accepting the power in himself. Who we are and what we have to offer in the world is valid, we just need to uncover it and polish it. His character charmed me because of the earnestness and enthusiasm that he approaches the world with. He’s a teenager that captures the challenges of growing up and the pressures of his family’s hopes perfectly. While I don’t have to deal with being a Spiderperson myself, I hope that I can capture his attitude in my everyday next year.

We’re all getting there. We just have to keep going, and appreciate the magic and mystery of life as it comes.

Happy New Year everyone.