I was recently gifted a bracelet from one of my best friends for my birthday and I’m obsessed with it. It’s beautiful, but that’s not why I love it. I love it because of the meaning behind it. It’s called a blessing bracelet and it has four pearls on it. Each pearl represents something you are blessed for in your life. When you wear the bracelet you are silently supposed to acknowledge four things in your life you are blessed with. These blessings can be as big as your family or a best friend, or as simple as a good cup of coffee or a pretty flower. I’ve found myself being thankful for the silliest of things since I’ve started to wear it, but also the things that I take for granted. As I was acknowledging four things while sitting in my French class today (I’m thankful for the Jimmy Johns I’m going to order, the phone I’m going to order it on, the money I have to buy it, and the satisfaction I will get from being full), I realized something. I thought to myself, why did it take a bracelet for me to realize how many great things I have in my life?
We should all be thankful everyday. I know we all go through rough patches. A boyfriend may have dumped you, you might be struggling to keep up your grades, or maybe something more serious such as battling depression. Life is hard and I know that. But I think it’s also important that we learn to keep our heads up and acknowledge the good in our lives. We are so lucky to be at Saint Mary’s where we have a huge support system and Belles everywhere looking to lend us advice or just a hug when we need it. We are so lucky to be getting an education at a nationally ranked liberal arts school. We are blessed that we can fret over getting a bad grade on a test, because hey, at least we get to be in school taking a test.
Remembering that you are blessed is important. You never know when that rough patch is going to come, so be thankful everyday about the good you have around you. Count your blessings, whether it be four blessings like me with my bracelet, or just one little thing. If you remember what you’re grateful for, you can learn to let go of the bad, and appreciate the good.
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