Though people emphasize the importance of constantly being grateful for your possessions and opportunities, it is easy to dwell upon the hard times and not think about it.
Thanksgiving reminds us to stop and take it all in –– and to count our blessings.
The truth is that I have never been close with my entire extended family, as many live out of the country or not in California, where I’m from. As a result, that means that I’m not always with those parts of the family on Thanksgiving or for the holidays in general.
However, we celebrate with the family friends that live near us in the Bay Area. I learned that friends are the family we choose and that the holidays aren’t always like the ones in the movies: where it’s snowing and every family member is together in perfect harmony. Often times that’s not how it always is. Family can be messy and not full of laughter 100% of the time. But I’ve learned to enjoy the time I spend with my immediate family, arguments and dysfunctionality in all. We don’t get to choose our family, but we can learn to appreciate everyone’s quirks. And if that doesn’t work out, friends are the family we do choose. I’ve learned that it’s okay to be close to friends, because family can be dysfunctional. It’s easy to feel discouraged because you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving with a big turkey and everyone sitting around the table. Any time spent among family or friends (or both!) is quality time. Any support system works.