College is tough. There are times when life is more than you’re willing to deal with right now. Sometimes weeks seem incredibly futile, and it’s important to latch onto any positivity you can. It’s weeks like this that I turn to the phrase “Thank You.” This simple, yet incredibly powerful phrase, shows gratitude in so many surprising ways. I’ve learned to document my thank you notes to constantly remind me of the positive aspects of my life. Some are thoughtful and deep, and some are meaningful only to the recipient of the thanks. Still, others are comprised of whatever pops into my mind (You can consider it sort of a “quirky count your blessings” meets Jimmy Fallon’s “Thank You Notes”).
These thank yous allow me to see the positive when life seems just a little too mundane. Here are some of my thank you thoughts that resonate for me through my college experience:
Thank you
To my best friends:
You’re there for the good times, the bad times and everything in between. We may not have known each other very long, but I genuinely don’t know what I would do without you.
To the adventurous souls:
Thank you for getting me off of my couch and into the world.
To those slightly less adventurous souls:
Thank you for giving me the password to your Netflix account.
To my roommate:
Not only are you my best friend, but you have also seen more of me than you probably like (yet you’re still living with me… So I must be doing something right!)
To the boys I dated:
You taught me a lot and don’t forget that. But I’m happy with my cats for now.
To Mr. Hershey:
I love you.
To the people who see my Snapchat my ugly faces on the bus and pretend not to have watched:
We both know this isn’t true, but you save me from a lot of self-confidence issues.
To the friends who text back within minutes:
It’s appreciated more than you will ever know.
To the friends who take hours to respond:
You, against my willingness, have taught me patience.
To anyone who has tutored me in math:
Passing that test was 50 percent hard work and 60 percent luck. And it’s all thanks to you.
To anyone who works at HEB:
I really appreciate that you know, but do not acknowledge, that I am definitely in my pajamas.
To my “college mom”:
Otherwise known as the one who makes sure I am still alive and at least somewhat responsible. Yes, I am eating more than just ramen.
You are the girls who not only watch “The Bachelor” with me but still believe (with incredible enthusiasm) that maybe, just maybe, Ben H. will find us and say he’s made a terrible mistake in choosing another girl. Not only that, but you have my back, make sure I have a date for parties (although not Ben…), and have completely changed my perspective on life. I can truly call all of you my sisters.
To my family members:
You send me pictures of my pets when school just seems like it might kill me.
To my pets:
I’ll be home soon. (Don’t tell the fam, but I definitely miss you most).
To the people I can sit and talk to for hours:
You are the ones who will stay for hours, one minute discussing spirit animals, the next questioning the meaning of life.
To my siblings:
Even though I am not at home, obviously you miss me a lot.
To every single person who works at Chuy’s:
Creamy jalapeño brings me more joy than you can imagine.
To the kids I was camp counselor for:
I have never felt more pressure to be an adult and a child at the same time. How responsible can one truly feel while having a crud war with a bunch of seventh graders?
To the unexpected friends made in my classes:
Not only did we become study buddies, but now we have a real friendship. Now we can talk about more than just that terrible geography class we took last semester.
To the professors who give extra credit:
(This feels pretty self explanatory).
To the high school friends I’ve stayed close to all these years:
You bring so much joy, love and nostalgia. You also have a lot of power to humiliate me, so please remind me never to upset you.
To the people I interact with on an everyday basis:
You continue to help me grow as a person. Even when I really, really don't want to.
To you:
For hopefully cracking a smile at reading this article and making it all the way to the end.
