3 Things You Didn’t Realize You Should Actually Be Thankful For
“What are you thankful for?” Thanksgiving is the time for celebrating fall, good food, and family. That question shows up at least once every year to honor the actual name of the holiday, and more often than not, it’s answered by the typical “my family, my friends, etc.” But there are be some things that may seem like they bother you, ruin your life, or just don’t matter to you that you should actually be thankful for.
1. Phone calls from your parents
Being thankful for your family is a given, because they give you your home and unconditional love. But what about the less sentimental parts of a family? Since I’ve come to college, I call and FaceTime each parent twice everyday. It could be a quick check-in or an hour long vent. Often, I’m too busy to talk on the phone for longer than thirty seconds. But sometimes I feel so homesick that I need a long FaceTime with my mom. College makes it easy to get bogged down with the schoolwork, but transitioning from seeing family everyday to some weekends is a challenge itself. I know my parents’ constant calls are because they care, and I’m thankful for the little opportunity I get to talk to them.
2. Hard classes
Even if you’re a straight A+ student that cured cancer in your free time in high school, college is tough. It’s common for students here to work at Brody until 4AM. Classes move fast, professors are tough, and exams aren’t easy. Despite all this, I am thankful for all the hard classes I take here. High school consisted of boring and useless subjects we’ll never pursue. In college, you pick your major and choose classes you’re interested in. It’s hard, but it’s more interesting, and that’s what makes it worth it.
In the same vein, a bad grade on a midterm might tank your grade for the semester. Even so, I’m grateful for the failed midterms. Because I did badly on one midterm (looking at you, BBC exam #2), I studied even harder for the next midterm and reviewed the material I missed for the final. Negative experiences stay with you more, so you’ll never again forget how K+ ions cause depolarization of hair cells. And never forget that your professor might curve your grade, or let you drop your lowest midterm (thanks, Dr. Gorman).
3. Security guards
You see them on every corner, at every dorm’s entrance, and driving around at night. The security guards are spottable in their bright uniforms and though we know they are there, we don’t show enough gratefulness. The Hopkins bubble in Charles Village feels safe. I know I wouldn’t feel nearly as safe walking to CVS or The LaB at night without the security guards and blue lights lining the streets. I am thankful for the Johns Hopkins Security for what they prevent.