Thanksgiving is an amazing holiday! We celebrate the history of our country while enjoying delicious food and the presence of our families. And it is a day that is merely one month from Christmas!
The greatest part of Thanksgiving is that we get to be thankful for all that we have. Throughout the year, we rarely take a moment to pause and be grateful. Thanksgiving gives us that opportunity.
There are countless reasons to be thankful in your life – some that are obvious, and some not so much. Below, I have compiled a list of some of the reasons we should all be thankful this holiday season.
Family
Of course, I had to start the list with the most important part of our lives and the main source of love – our families. Thanksgiving Day is one day in the year when most of our extended family gets together and celebrates. We see our aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents. Family is the best part of life. Their love is unconditional, and we should all be thankful to have families.
Friends
Our friends are the reason we don’t have to experience life alone. They are with us through fun times and sad times, through thick and thin. Some with which we share secrets, and some with which we just share a room. No matter how close you and your friends are, they still make life more interesting and less lonely, and that’s definitely something to be grateful for this Thanksgiving.
Food
One of the reasons many of us look forward to Thanksgiving is all the delicious food that will be on the dinner table, as well as leftovers to last us days. Pumpkin and apple flavored dishes and desserts will be everywhere. But Thanksgiving food isn’t the only food for which we should be grateful. In many countries around the world, and even in our own country, poverty exists. If you never have to think about whether you will be able to eat tomorrow, you should be thankful for that.
Beds
Our beds are a place for comfort and dreaming. They give us rest, sweet dreams, and the ability to wrap yourself with your covers on a dark and chilly morning. Nowadays, it might even be your classroom. Personally, I can’t think of a more comfortable way to sit through a class in the morning other than from my bed.
Plumbing
Oh, how thankful I am for plumbing. When visiting a small village for community service during my year abroad, I got the chance to experience what it’s like to not have plumbing, ever. Since that day, I have been enormously grateful for the existence of plumbing in my house.
Books and Movies
Although quite different, both reading and watching a movie allow us to escape reality for a moment. Occasionally, it’s a nice feeling to have time stop for an hour or so and imagine yourself living a different life in a different world.
Babies and Their Laughter
Babies are a blessing. They’re so pure and being in the presence of one instantly lights up anyone’s mood. And when they laugh…is there any sound more perfect? Babies are sparks of light in this gloomy world.
Peace
We are living in a country where there is currently no war and no attacks. We are able to live peacefully, unlike many people from countries around the world. We aren’t afraid when going to sleep, we aren’t afraid for the safety of our friend and family. We are able to live peacefully, which is surely a reason to be thankful.
Freedom & Equality
We as people living in the United States have so much freedom. We often don’t realize it and I probably wouldn’t have either if I hadn’t experienced what it’s like not to have this freedom. My year abroad (mentioned earlier) was in a developing country where women were still seen as inferior, and they either belonged to their parents or their husbands once they got married. When a girl wants to plan her future, the first question people ask is, “How do you know your husband will allow you to do that?”
I am in no way saying that women are viewed as men’s equals in the United States, but we have come such a long way and that’s a great reason to be thankful.
I hope my list inspired you to be thankful this Thanksgiving. My advice is that you come up with your own personal list as I’m sure it will look quite different from my list above. For the items on your list, be thankful not only on Thanksgiving, but every other day of the year.