Of course it's almost Thanksgiving so now is the time we think about all the things we are thankful for, from the little things that make our lives more convenient to the big things that have shaped us into who and where we are today. Even though we may not realize all of the blessings we have everyday, something about this time of year brings about a sense of gratefulness we lack at other times of year.

For where I've been, the people who had touched my life, and the things I have been through. My past has changed me into who I am today. Growing up, families go through changes, people come and go, but my brothers have always been defining people in my life, so for them I am thankful. My mom has been a rock, through ups and downs, she has been a person constantly shaping me into who I am today, my thanks for her is never ending. For the city I grew up in, thank you for an amazing childhood. For everything I have been through, good and bad, successes and mistakes, they taught me lessons and shaped me into who I am today.

For where I am today, for the experiences, friends, and people who continue to touch my life. For the opportunity to follow my dreams, study at a school of my dreams and live in New York, my gratitude for these experiences is inexplicable. For my amazing college friends, who turned into family, thank you for showing me what it is to be true friends. For my family at home, thank you, for your never ending support and all the sunshine you bring into my life. For hometown friends that didn't let the distance define our friendship, thank you for being there. For all the people in my past that continue to be part of my present, thank you for being constants through all the changes.

For where I will go and who I will become, all of opportunities for growth, amazing experiences, and even better people. I am thankful for the ability to hope for a bright future filled with love, joy, happiness, and amazing people, places, and chances and even more wonderful journey to follow.

As Thanksgiving comes and goes, always remember to be thankful all year round for where you have been because it shapes you into who you are today, for where you are now because it is exactly where you are meant to be, and for where you will go because there is no limit on your dreams. I am thankful for my past, present, and future because all have and will bring me triumphs, failures, experiences, and people that are ultimately all blessings or lessons in my life. Happy Thanksgiving, remember to be thankful everyday.