With the bleak, dark future of finals looming in the distance and the tumultuous election behind us, it is easy to dwell on the negative. However, Thanksgiving is coming up, which means it's time to put our worries and problems behind us and start counting our blessings. I bet you didn't even realize you were thankful for these next 5 things!
1. Running water
Can you imagine what life would be like without running water? Try to picture walking 8 miles just to collect a jar of clean water and then walking home. Or only being able to take a bath once a week so that you can save water for cooking and drinking purposes. In other parts of the world and in previous periods in history, this is the case. So next time you flip on your faucet or grab that bottle of nestle water, send a quick prayer of thanksgiving to the Man upstairs for this wonderful blessing we take for granted.
2. Sight
Have you ever walked around with a blindfold on? Try doing this for a whole day, or maybe every day. The gift of sight is very special because it enables us to experience all the color and majesty that earth has to offer in its fullness. Some are not so fortunate to have this gift, although they may experience other wonderful elements of life like sound, smell, and touch. So next time you are admiring the beautiful fall tree-line, remember how lucky you are to have this view, and take it in for all it's worth.
3. Food on your plate
Complain all you want about the food at the school cafeteria...but try going hungry for a day, or even skipping lunch every day for a week, and you'll soon realize what a blessing food is. It gives us the energy that we need to live our lives out to the fullest, and can also be quite enjoyable. So savor your food this week instead of just wolfing it down, and nourish your body with healthy meals that make you feel energized, not sluggish...(except on Thanksgiving, that's a no-brainer.)
4. The internet
Although the availability of the internet causes a lot of problems of its own, we are incredibly lucky to have the whole world of knowledge right at our fingertips! In the olden days, people were lucky to have access to a handful of books--if any! Now, we can literally learn anything we want, anytime we want! (Just be careful about which sources you are learning from--everything on Twitter is obviously true.)
5. Freedom
This is something that is so easy to take for granted. Although not everyone feels that they share equal amounts of freedom, America is always in pursuit of increased freedoms for all. No one can tell you what job or career to pursue, what religion you must profess, or where you have to live. There are endless opportunities here to advance your life in the direction that you see fit--it is up to you to take advantage of them! God bless the USA!!!
