Thanksgiving is a time where everyone takes a second to sit back, take a good look at their life, and realize how much they have to be thankful for. Many families go around the table during the Thanksgiving meal and each family member says what they’re thankful for, and I know that when my family does it, it makes me realize just how lucky I am to be surrounded by so much love and support on a daily basis

But after the day is over, and everyone is curled up on the couch with a food coma (thanks, Grandma’s mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie), it easy to forget what you’re thankful for since the season has come and gone. However, I never forget what I’m thankful for, and every day since, I’ve made sure to make a moment in my day to remember just how lucky I am, and how thankful I am for everything and everyone in my life.

I’m thankful to be surrounded by a family that loves to be together, and who is always there to love and support each other. No matter how long one of us has been gone, we are always welcomed back with a loving hug, and that’s something that is so rare, yet so beautiful, and it makes me realize just how lucky I am to have such a strong bond with those who I call family.

I’m thankful that I have such a strong relationship with God, and that I know that he is always there to guide me, even when I feel lost. Without trust in God, I wouldn’t be standing here today, so I truly do owe him my life. Know that I can talk to God about anything make life a little easier, and makes me a lot more thankful that I have found him and found his love.

I’m thankful to have friends that are always there, even if it’s just a text or a call. Being three or more hours away from the people that you love is hard, but it makes it easier knowing that you can always count on each other even if hundreds of miles separate you. I’m thankful that they can laugh with me, or that they can cry with me, and that no matter what, we will always stick with each other until the end.

I’m thankful that I am alive today, and that in this life, I have found my path. I’m thankful to have found something that I love doing, and want to do for the rest of my life, and that I am alive and well and able to inspire the children that I one day hope to teach.

There is so much to be thankful for in this world and in your life, so never let yourself forget just how lucky you are that you have so many things to be thankful for every day. Thanksgiving may just be one day and one holiday out of the year, but the message of thankfulness spreads far beyond just that one day, so take your moment each and every day, and remind yourself that there is always something, big or small, to be thankful for.