How many times have you heard someone say, “It’s ironic how people beat each other up for cheap stuff the day after being thankful for what they have?” Well, they have a point. It almost seems to be human nature that we want things constantly, but never really stop and give thanks for the things that we have, unless it’s a holiday (even then, we no longer celebrate it as Thanksgiving, it has become more of a “Black Friday Eve”). When we put everything else on hold and really put our minds to it, there are so many things that we have that we are completely unaware of, things that we should be completely grateful for.
1.Our Health
How many times have you woken up in the morning and said, “I’m happy to have woken up today”? My guess is, that it’s slim to none. Our health is something that is overlooked every second of the day. The only time we become thankful is when we hear about someone getting ill or ending up in the hospital. It shouldn’t have to come to that. Wake up everyday and be grateful that you have the chance to get up on your own and live your life the way you do. So thank you, God, for my health.
2.Our ParentsMany times, and I say this from experience, we fight with our family. We yell things at them like, “You just don’t understand,” or “Why do you treat me like a child?” Well, it’s slowly dawning on me that we are their children, and no parent wants to see their children have less than they did. Whether we’ll ever admit it to ourselves or not, we wouldn’t be anywhere near the people we are today if it wasn’t for our parents raising us. Yes, they make mistakes, but what person hasn’t? They’re learning how to do this thing called “life” and very soon we’ll be in their shoes. So thank you, Mom and Dad, for putting up with my shenanigans.
3.Our Friends
Yes, sometimes they are the biggest pains in the ass. Sometimes they even want to make you put your head through a wall, but there is no one I’d rather rage or kick back with than my friends. And that is something beautiful. We often take the closest people to us for granted and we don’t realize how much they truly mean to us until they disappear from our lives. Again, we shouldn’t have to lose someone to realize how significant they are to us. Next time you see your friends, just tell them you’re thankful that they’ve been there for you. So thank you to all the friends who have been by my side.
4.Our Significant Other
Whether you have one or not, you’ll eventually find someone who you will spend the rest of your life with. After having someone taking care of you every day, and talking to you every minute, and exhausting all their energy on you, it can be something that gets overlooked in your daily activities. I’ve dated my girlfriend for just short of four years, and I will admit that this has happened to me (don’t beat me up, Ashley, I’m sorry). But the fact that someone is willing to be so selfless for you should be enough to be thankful that they are in your life. I know my girlfriend supports me in everything that I do, and that means more than she’ll ever understand. So thank you to the woman who has been my support system.
5.Our Good Fortune
Life throws a lot of rough times at us, but it also hands us a lot of opportunities that seem almost too good to be true. Are we thankful for the first time we made the Dean's List, getting into our top choice college, graduating college, getting a job? These are all very real things that happen to us. Do we stop and say we’re thankful for the opportunities that are given to us that maybe others will never see? It may seem like sheer luck to you, but I believe that we should be giving some sort of thanks for the success we have in our lives. So thank you, God, for the opportunities that have led to my successes.
We shouldn’t need some sort of tragedy to make us realize what we should have been thankful for. We shouldn’t need to be reminded to be thankful for the individuals who have helped shape us. Just because the “holiday to give thanks” has ended, doesn’t mean giving thanks should end too. Let’s make a personal effort to be thankful for everything we have, every day, regardless of the situation.
