The best time of the year is finally upon us. The holiday season is here! As we are all rushing in to get last minute assignments in and tests finished up before the Thanksgiving break, it occurred to me that we have not really gotten a chance to process the busy season we are entering. More so, with Thanksgiving coming up, I have been reminded to reflect on all that there is to be thankful for.

This past weekend, my small group leader told us about a woman she knows who kept a journal sitting in her kitchen, and would write reasons to be thankful any time that she walked by. This hinted to me that Thanksgiving is not the day we should express thankfulness. We should exclaim gratefulness every day, and take the day of Thanksgiving to reflect on all that we have discovered to be thankful for. How awesome would it be to use this day not only as a celebration of food and family, but to celebrate life itself as well?!

I think it has occurred to me that showing gratitude is a vital part of relationships, communication, and just daily life in general. I am very much so a words-of-affirmation gal, and I think it is so important to express thankfulness to those around you. It has been a realization to me that this needs to take place every day, not just on Thanksgiving. Don't get me wrong, thankfulness should definitely be expressed on this day of the year, but it could make a huge difference to your life and those around you to state gratefulness every other day as well.

Adding on to this, I have also come to realize that thankfulness is important in obstacles as well. It is important to acknowledge that difficult times show us strength and truth. Something I have started doing is telling myself to be thankful for my circumstances, even if they are not what I had imagined. It can completely change your attitude and perspective to embrace these times and make you even more thankful for the easier times.

We have all been told time and time again to acknowledge that we never really know what is going on in someone's life. With this in mind, showing thankfulness matters because someone might need some reaffirmation in their life. Especially in terms of the holiday season, this time of the year may not be so cheery and jolly for some individuals and families. The holidays can bring out the best and worst in people, and telling someone you appreciate them can add to the positives of this season.

Taking this all into consideration, this holiday season should be a time to express gratefulness for the good and the bad, the easy and the difficult, and everything in between. Showing thankfulness matters because it strengthens relationships with others and with your own self. So when you are sitting around with friends and family, tell them how thankful you are for them and ask them what they are thankful for. And don't forget to go back for round two of dessert:)