For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved Thanksgiving. As a young girl, something about all of the food and the desserts in the kitchen never failed to put a huge smile across my face.

But now, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that this whole time I have loved Thanksgiving for the wrong reasons. When I was young, Thanksgiving was all about the stuffing and the mashed potatoes. But now, it means so much more to me. Thanksgiving shouldn’t just be about the food you’ll be eating or the drinks you’ll be drinking. It shouldn’t just be about the so-called “food coma” you’ll be in after eating your body weight in food. It shouldn’t be about the shopping you’ll be doing that night on Black Friday. Instead, it should be about family and celebrating all of the things you’re thankful for day in and day out.

So, this Thursday evening, I challenge you to be grateful for more than just the food you’re stuffing down your throat—I challenge you to embrace the real meaning of Thanksgiving and cherish all of the things you should be thankful for this Thanksgiving:

1. Waking up this morning

2. Your family's unconditional love

3. Your friends

4. Good health

5. Laughing until you cry

6. Nature

7. Your vision

8. A good book

9. The first snowfall of the season

10. Hugs

11. A bed to sleep on

12. The sound of stepping on newly-fallen leaves

13. Fridays

14. ...and Saturdays

15. Learning from mistakes

16. Fireplaces

17. Music

18. Road trips

19. The sound of waves crashing on the shore

20. Sweater weather

21. Your legs

22. Your lungs

23. Pets that will always cuddle with you

24. Soul mates

25. Baby giggles

26. Sunsets that paint the sky

27. Long phone calls

28. Your immune system

29. Siblings

30. Christmas lights

31. Fresh air

32. Deep conversations about life

33. Kind strangers

34. Driving with the windows down

35. Good hair days

36. Thunderstorms

37. Fuzzy socks

38. Waterfalls

39. Snow days

40. Being alive