These next two weeks can’t fly by soon enough. Somewhere around November 24, we will all be headed home, a place we have looked forward to all semester. Our hometowns will be a little bit colder, our house decorations will feature turkeys, and football will be playing on the television (most likely with a family member yelling at the referees). Thanksgiving will finally be here. While it’s a much-needed break for most students, it’s not really what the holiday is all about. They didn’t call it “Breaks-Giving,” did they? No, Thanksgiving is a special day put in place not only for mashed potatoes and pumpkin pie; it’s a day for thanks.

I know it sounds cliché, and I’m not arguing it isn’t. But then again, sometimes we need a good cliché in our lives. While it can be pretty heavily argued that Thanksgiving isn’t the most kosher of holidays with the friendliest past, it’s still a day put in our lives for a reason, one we can use to better ourselves and others. So before you dig into your meal that afternoon, I hope you do a few very important things.

1. Give thanks. Real, sincere thanks. It sounds simple, and it is simple. Give thanks to the Lord, your parents, your friends, anyone and everyone your path has come across. A simple recognition can make someone’s day, especially if you don’t often do so. Appreciation goes farther than anyone realizes, and it is even better received from a sincere and authentic place in your heart. Plus, how could you not be thankful for this beautiful life?

2. To add onto the first point: be thankful for all things. Even the negative things. Even the heartbreak from that terrible boy years ago. Be thankful for the experiences that you have been given, and reflect on how they have allowed you to grow and become the best version of yourself, the version that you are today. Take this day as a time to reflect, because you have certainly come a long way.

3. Do something worth being thanked for. I’m not saying to act out of a place of wrong intention, not at all. I’m challenging you to give to another in any way that you can, because anything you do for another person is deserving of thanks. Giving your gifts, whether tangible, emotional, financial, or in any other way, is the kindest and most respectful thing you can do. How many times have you been given a gift that’s changed your life? Do the same for someone else. The feeling after is gift enough.

4. Make a goal. This might seem pretty random; why goal set on a holiday revolving around stuffing your face? With the year almost over, there’s no better time to set a shorter goal that you can achieve before the new year. Points if your goal is built on giving to others.

So between the multiple courses, take some time and celebrate what’s really important. Honesty, integrity, kindness, humility; the list goes on and on. Thanksgiving may be one day of the year, but there are always 24 hours to give to others. And I truly hope you do so.