Thanksgiving is just around the corner, and with it comes a day filled with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, food, friends and family. Every year, my family gathers around the table, and as we prepare to eat, everyone says what they are thankful for. I love this tradition because it allows us to collectively reflect on our past year and truly reminds us of how blessed we are. When it’s my turn to give my thanks, I usually list out a couple of one-word answers. Despite my short list, I am still incredibly thankful for each and every one/thing on it. This list usually slightly varies depending on the year, but I am consistently thankful for my health, friends, families and opportunities, and here’s why.
Every year, I catch colds and get the flu, but so does everyone. That is normal. Fortunately, I have never had any life-changing illnesses, and everyone in my family is relatively healthy. When I see people suffering in hospitals or nursing homes or rehabilitation centers, my heart breaks for them and I pray that they are cured and can live a happy life. Fortunately, my family has been gifted their health, and for this I am thankful.
Speaking of my family, I am more than thankful for them. No matter what, they are there to support me. For years, they came to soccer tournaments, golf matches and horse shows to cheer me on and watch me do what I love. Now, they encourage me to do well in school and are my support system for everything. My brother is always there to make me laugh, and my sister is always there to give me the honest truth, no matter how brutal it is. My grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins are also always there for me, and they all mean the world to me. For this I am thankful.
The saying is that your friends are the family you choose. This is so incredibly true, and just like my family, my friends are there to support me. They are there to laugh, cry, sing, dance, watch movies and eat ice cream with me whenever I want. I am thankful for my best friends, my boyfriend, my sorority sisters, my roommates, my college friends and my high school friends. They have all seen me at my best and my worst, and for some reason they still choose to stick around. These are the people I run to when I have any kind of problem and will drop whatever they are doing to help. They listen to my constant complaints and encourage me to be the best version of myself. For this I am thankful.
Finally, I am thankful for the opportunities I have been provided with. Growing up, I had the chance to be involved in a variety of sports. I had the opportunity to get a good education at a challenging high school, which opened up the doors to attend an excellent university. With that, I have had the opportunity/fortunate experience of having teachers and professors who are passionate about what they teach and want nothing but the best for their students. It is the accumulation of these opportunities that have made me become the person I am today. It is important to remember to give thanks even for the little things that we tend to take for granted. I wake up each morning either in my house or my dorm room and have clothes to put on my body and food to eat. For this I am thankful.
Have a happy Thanksgiving!
