Being in high school, there are a lot of things I, and many of my peers, feel obligated to do. Some would say that if you haven’t done things like go to football games, pep rallies, and homecoming, you haven’t had the “high school experience.” One year ago, all I wanted was the “high school experience.” I wanted to attend every game and cheer in my school’s student section with a big group of “popular” friends. I wanted to go to homecoming with a date, in a big group of other people and their dates. Unfortunately, last year, I did not get that; and I let it break my heart. I sat at home feeling bad for myself. This year, I went to every football game with my two best friends, went to every homecoming game with my newly found friends, and had a great time at homecoming. It felt so good to be satisfied with my experiences, I had never felt that before.

This time of year, people usually think about what they’re thankful for. This year, I’m thankful for so much. I’m thankful for my friends and for my family. I’m thankful for my house and that my parents can provide food for my brother and me. Most of all, I’m thankful that my life has changed over the past year. I’ve overcame every challenge that’s come my way, even the ones I felt I’d never be able to overcome. Each day, I wake up happy to be awake, that is not something I can say was always true. A year ago, I woke up each day wishing I was still asleep. I stayed home on friday nights out of the fear of being alone. Now, I go to social events with my friends knowing that somebody will always be there for me, physically and emotionally. I have my good days and my bad days, but overall, I am happy. I’ve never been more thankful for anything in my life than I am for my happiness. I wish all other people could feel the same way. I wish people’s happiness wasn’t clouded by anxiety or depression, as mine once was, or by things like cancer, hunger, and bullying. Happiness is a strange thing, someone could be on top of the world at one point, and then a minute later, they could be at rock bottom. You sometimes can never know if somebody isn’t happy; so please, if you do know that somebody is upset, do something to make them happy. Chances are, it will mean the world to them and they will be thankful for a long time.