Thanksgiving has been my favorite holiday ever since I could speak. For many years, I simply acknowledged the holiday as "a time for good food." Now that I'm older, I've come to appreciate the deeper meanings behind the holiday. Although I still look forward to the abundance of mouthwatering food, I also reflect on my year and all of the wonderful things in my life that I am thankful for. Here is a list of a few of the things I am thankful for this Thanksgiving.

1) My Parents

You two are the most important people in my life. Without you, I simply wouldn't be here. Thank you for supporting everything that I set my mind to. Thank you for helping to fund these endeavors. Thank you for always showing your love and support. You both have helped shape me into the person I am today. I'm blessed to have two amazing role models to look up to.

2) My Brothers

Surprise, surprise. Yes, I am thankful for you two goofballs. Although we all lead busy lives and it's rare when we are all together at once, I am always proud to be your sister. You two are the smartest people I know, and you're putting a lot of pressure on me to do well (usually it's flipped). I look forward to watching you two grow in the upcoming year.

3) My Extended Family

This one goes out to my grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, etc. I am so lucky to have a huge family that I look up to. You all lead such wonderful lives. You show me every day how to be a better person, sister, and friend. You also show me how to one day be the best wife, mother, and grandmother.

4) My Friends

This includes college friends, swim friends, high school friends, and my day 1 friends. I am so lucky to have you guys in my life. I know I've been saying this for so many years now, but I truly don't know what I would do without you.You guys constantly push me to achieve my goals, but you also keep me grounded. You guys are my second family, and I hope that our friendship can carry on for the rest of our lives.

5) My Boyfriend

I don't need to write out a paragraph for you because I feel as though I remind you every day why I'm always thankful for you. To put it simply, you have changed my life for the better.

6) The College of New Jersey

Although we seem to have a love-hate relationship, I will always be thankful for you, TCNJ. You have provided me with more opportunities as a psychology major than any other college would have. You have taught me an abundance of lessons about hard-work, goal setting, and determination. I look forward to seeing where these next couple of years take me academically.

7) My Mental Illness

Yes, I am thankful for my mental illness. Without it, I wouldn't be who I am today. I wouldn't be as emotionally intelligent, I wouldn't be majoring in psychology, and I wouldn't be as compassionate and understanding. Everyone suffers from something, but only a few people are able to accept and appreciate it.

8) To Be Alive

This is extremely cliche, I know. I am simply grateful to be breathing. I've made it 19 years, and not everyone can say that they have. Think about it. If you're reading this, you are alive. You get to experience a new day, and you have the capability to make the most of your time today. I don't know if I will make it to tomorrow, so I can't take my life for granted. Today is a beautiful day to be alive.

I have high hopes for the future, and I look forward to experiencing a new year with my family and friends. I'm eternally thankful for you and for all that you have done for me.