As the holiday season comes upon us society today seems to forget what Thanksgiving is really about. Known now as the forgotten holiday, people often see Thanksgiving as the day to quickly eat and then get a head start on Black Friday shopping. We seem to forget that it was started by the pilgrims of this great land as a celebration for surviving the year and for the harvest that was provided. And what did the pilgrims give on that fateful day? They gave thanks. So, in the traditional spirit of giving thanks on Thanksgiving I wanted to celebrate early by giving thanks to everything and everyone who had a hand in making me what I am today.

Note: Sorry if I missed you there are, many people in the world, seven billion to be specific. Also, what I am about to thank you for is not even close to all that you do for me. It is just something really important that I think stands out because if I wrote out everything each and everyone of you do for me then this article would be longer than the number pi.

Thank you mom for always making me do what’s right in life. Thank you dad for always putting things in a new perspective for me. Thank you Mimi for always being on my side. Thank you nanny for sharing your wisdom with me. Thank you Delilah, my doggy, for loving me all the time. Thank you Aunts and Uncles for always making my life extra special. Thank you to my endless supply of amazing cousins for keeping an eye on me throughout the years. Thank you to all the little kiddos in my life for reminding me how great it is to stay young, no matter how old I get. Thank you teachers for your motivation and encouragement. Thank you retail workers for putting up with my coupons. Thank you food service people for putting up with me in general.

Thank you to doctors, dentists, nurses, veterans, employees of all sorts for serving me and my country. Thank you Rich, Emily, Darren, Victoria, Adam, and Ana for showing me what true friends really are. Thank you high school friends for helping and watching me grow and thank you college friends for loving me for who I turned out to be. Thank you old friends for making it work for as long as it did and thank you new friends for making an effort into what it is now. Thank you to all the friends in between for giving me those random, awesome memories. Thank you to enemies for teaching me lessons. Thank you strangers for holding the door for me and for putting my faith back in humanity. Thank you math, art, music, books, food, and Disney for making me the kid I am today.

Obviously there are plenty more things and people to thank, but for now I think I made my point. Thanksgiving is not just about the food or about when the closest mall opens that night. It is about the family and friends you are with, the people that make you better, and about showing them how thankful you are to be blessed with them.

So whether you are carving the turkey, scarfing down the stuffing, watching the game, or leaving for the mall I ask you to please just stop and take one second. In that second I urge you to simply look to your left and right and think about how important the people and things that surround you right then and there are, for they make you what you are today. For better or for worse, you have them to thank. So just do it. Thank them, whether it be verbally, physically, or mentally. A “thanks,” a hug, and smile, anything will be appreciated, I am sure of it. You will be just a little bit gladder, too, because making people happy makes you happy. I learned that from all the remarkable people listed above. Happy Thanksgiving everyone and blessings to you all.