Do you remember growing up and right before Thanksgiving break the teachers would have a lesson to teach you about why we celebrate Thanksgiving?

About how the first harvest was celebrated by the pilgrims who arrived in the United States on the Mayflower in 1621. Although this is the history behind the holiday, we can't forget the reason we continue to celebrate every year with our families around a big feast.

I celebrate this holiday with a whole heart. I am reminded that no matter how bad the bad days might get, I am still blessed with so much. I have a loving family that will let me fall but are always there to pick me up after. I wake up day after day to go to a job that I love, with people who make it that much better.

I get to go to school and learn things I couldn't have imagined I would've ever learned. I have the freedom to choose what it is that I want to do with my time. And better yet, I get to spend my time with the people whom I choose to be around.

This year I choose to be thankful for the little things. The smile that you get from someone in the grocery store. A phone call from a family member you don't get to see a lot. A warm hug from a loved one. Watching the kids run and play. Catching up with an old friend. A break from the chaos of everyday life.

I challenge you to take a step back to look at everything in your life that others might not be so lucky to have. Hopefully this Thanksgiving you can recognize the little things and fill your heart with them. Also, try to put some happiness out in the world because even a smile from a stranger on a bad day can change my whole mood.