I know that Thanksgiving isn't here yet, but it is November, and this week I have really noticed how blessed I am. I want this article to be a reflection on what I am thankful for, and a thank-you to everyone in my life that I am so grateful for.

i do a lot of journaling. In fact, I just recently finished a journal. I looked back through this journal, and there were many times that I had listed what I was thankful for. In that list were things like: a great Dad, a supportive family, great friends, basketball, music, college, and all the things I have that keep me alive and well. Let's unpack some of those.

I am thankful for my dad. I know I have written articles about him, and I talk about him a lot, and that is because he really does mean the world to me. My dad is my number one supporter, and I am so happy that I decided to stay closer to home so that he could come and see my basketball games, and so that I could go home if I ever needed to. My dad has always been my number one fan, he has given me a great life, and he will do anything for me. I also love my dad because he is a great man who has taught me a lot about being a great person, and who always reminds me that I am a great person to him, no matter what happens. I see a lot of my dad in me, and I am thankful that he is my dad.

I am also thankful for my entire family, even the ones I don't talk to often. I am really bad with keeping in touch with people, but I know that my family always keeps up with me and hears how I am doing from my dad. I am glad that I could always call a family member for a wide variety of things, and they would always have my back. My family is also really fun, and I always love when I can go home to my mammaw's house when everyone is there. It's a circus, but it's a good one.

My friends are also really important to me. I don't have an extensive list of friends, neither do I want millions of friends, but the ones that I do have understand me and care about me. I am very thankful for my team too, because they understand what I go through on a daily basis, and they are there to help me through it. My friends are always there to have fun with me, complain with me, eat with me, and we always support each other.

I am thankful for all the talents that God has given me, from basketball to writing poetry, to playing the saxophone. Without being able to do these things, I wouldn't be who I am.

Lastly, I am thankful for all the material things I am blessed with: shelter, food, a nice bed, books, etc. etc. I am blessed to have these things that some people don't, and I hope that I don't take them for granted, although I probably do a lot of the time. I am also thankful that I am getting a college education, that I am healthy, and that I have a job and leadership positions.

The list of things I am thankful for could go on and on, but these were some of the main things I wanted to touch on.

I challenge everyone to think about what they have, how they are blessed, and what they are thankful for. Not just in November, but all year round.