Being Thankful

Thanksgiving is a time to be thankful for the many blessings we normally overlook in life. Family, friends, faith, time, education, food, housing, transportation, job, nature, and chocolate are a few of the many blessings we receive. We need to recognize their value and strive to remember that importance throughout the year.

Our family members should be the most important people in our lives. Our parents gave us the incredible gift of life, for which we should be grateful. Our brothers and sisters are the people that we love most deeply and hate most passionately; there’s no one like them. Our extended family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and other relatives) are also those to be thankful for and strive to know better. If you are married and/or have kids, your spouse/children are surely important to you. Sometimes we do not recognize the importance of our family in our lives. I know I don’t appreciate my family nearly as much as I should. However, when I think of what it would be like to lose one of them, it tears me apart to the point of crying. Thus, we need to remember how much we love them. When we speak to them, use words knowing that they could be the last words you will ever say to them. Don’t let the sun set without patching up frustrations of the day. Love.

Our friends are the “other” most important people in our lives. Each and every person in your life will affect you in some way. However, friends are the ones that teach you the most important lessons in life because you trust and love them. Some come and go, whereas others remain always. Sometimes they let you down. Sometimes, they let you down badly. However, strength comes in the ability to forgive and move on. Going through bad times can make or break friendships. If it strengthens the friendship, then the ties are even stronger. My friends are incredible people who teach me new things every day. They lift me up when I’m down and help me to keep moving. They are awesome!

Faith is yet another thing to be thankful for. Regardless of your faith, there are others with whom you can unite and find community. Faith gives you something in common with others and helps you to feel closer to others. Sometimes, faith is all you have to live for and for those times, faith is what keeps you going. Faith doesn’t even mean religion. It also means the knowledge that you can make it through the tough times and hope that good can come out of it.

Time is priceless. It is steady and certain. Nothing you can do stops it and nothing you can do will make it fly. Sometimes, we forget how important time is. It is those final moments with a loved one, those last few minutes on a test, those seconds by which you missed someone at an event that make us realize just how precious every single moment is. Often times, we think people will last forever and waste time. When they are dying or have died, it is then we realize how important every memory is and how important that person was in our lives. Five minutes does not seem like a long time. However, during the SAT, every second is of the utmost importance. If you need to call someone and find out that they had left the house two minutes before you called, you realize what a difference two minutes can make. We cannot go back in time. Thus need to live each moment as if it were our last and treasure each second to its fullest.

Education, food, housing, transportation, and jobs are things that people often take for granted. Think of history and those in other countries who do not have even the opportunity to learn. Think of those who beg for food and those who go without; those who go to bed each night with hunger in their bellies because they have no food to eat. Think of those without homes and those with poorly crafted homes who endure the harsh elements because they have no other choice. Think of those who walk miles upon miles to find jobs and food for their families. Think of those living amongst the poorest of the poor because they have no job. Often times, we complain about these things. “I hate school,” “Eww, that looks gross,” “This house is so small!,” “My car is a hunk of junk,” “I hate my job. My boss is such a pain,” are often things we say instead of recognizing how grateful we should be for them.

Nature is so beautiful. Summer has flowers, lush trees, sparkling rivers, and a gorgeous sun. Fall has the beautiful changing leaves and the crisp cold air that gives you a feeling of wonderment. Winter has the pure white snow that we could watch falling for hours. Spring has the blooming flowers and the baby animals that make you excited for a brand new year. Often times, because these things happen every year, we forget how thankful we should be for them. Be thankful for every beautiful sunset or golden leaf you see. Be thankful for every blooming rose and baby bird. Be thankful for every snowfall and icy pond. Remember that it may be your last year on earth and each moment is important and thus every season is important.

Chocolate’s just on the list because it’s the most incredible thing ever. Period.

Remember how much you have to be thankful for and be sure to keep your priorities straight. When you are tempted to complain about life, make a list of all the things you have to be thankful for. You might be surprised by how long it can be.