It's the most wonderful time of the year. Thanksgiving is here, the semester is just about over, Christmas music has started playing, and people are making plans. People are also angry over our new President Elect, upset over recent events, and overall more sad as the colder weather sets in. It amazes me that what is supposed to be the happiest time of the year is also the saddest for many. These days, we scroll through social media and see a variety of things.
Maybe yours doesn't look the same as mine, but I see a whole lot of complaining. I see statuses about how difficult life is and how nobody appreciates what they have accomplished. I see pictures of babies and engagement rings followed by posts about people that would rather be single forever, or they're just jealous — I'm so guilty of this. I see the constant sharing of obituaries for kids that are dying too young because of alcohol, drugs, or simply terrible circumstances by people who are truly devastated as well as people that have never met them and are looking for shares and attention.
I guess what I'm trying to say is society sucks. We're all constantly at each other's throats, angry over something that won't matter a year or even two weeks from now. We're sad about a death that never should have happened, lonely and trying to get attention. I don't like it.
I'm tired of seeing people volunteer just to say they volunteered. I'm tired of teachers complaining about their students — you don't even consider what they go through — and other workers complaining about their coworkers or their bosses or their job descriptions. I'm tired of single parents trashing their ex just to make them look bad. I'm tired of everybody hating everything and never considering just how lucky they are.
I say this because now is a time to be thankful.
Mad about the election? I don't think anyone is exactly happy about it. But at least we have the right to vote.
Single parent? That's awful, but I don't need a Facebook rant to show me that you work hard. I see you doing everything you can just by surviving and by loving your child.
Tired of your job? At least you have one. At least somebody thought you had enough potential to work for them.
Want to make a change? Do it. Nothing is impossible and with enough determination you can change the world one small step at a time.
We tend to forget about Thanksgiving because we're so excited about Christmas being right around the corner. I don't want to forget this year though. . . too many bad things are happening in the world for us to not be thankful for the good. It's time to stop feeling like society owes you something and start going out and doing things for yourself and to better the world.
