By: Emma Accardi
As the holiday season is getting closer, I have been really trying to think of the people, places, and things I am thankful for this past year. A lot has happened in my personal life this year, both really great and really awful and I think it’s important to reflect on what I have been thankful for in both situations. In elementary school, I remember always putting down my family and friends as the main answer to this question, and of course these people still reign in my top spot of who I am most thankful for this year, however I think that when I was younger I never really grasped the understanding that being thankful for something or someone can be through smaller acts of kindness or support as well. In this past year I have really been supported and shown love by a handful of people that I am happy to call both friends and family. However, as I start to think about the little things too, my list gets much larger.
I am really thankful to be healthy and in a happy space in my life right now. This year has had its ups and downs but right now I can formally say that I am so thankful to be where I am and surrounded by the people I love both when I’m with them or separated by distance. I am thankful for my education and to be studying something I am really passionate about. I’m majoring in early education and minoring in special education and I have been really thankful to love what I study, the professors in the school and the classes I am taking. I think that as an education major as well I recognize that not everyone has access to the education I am receiving and it’s my goal in being an educator to really ensure that everyone has access to equitable and affordable education since it’s crucial for development of both life skills, time management, peer relationships and so much more.
The smaller things however are one’s I have found to be so important in the ways I have felt this year. I am thankful to live with roommates who make me laugh when I’m having a hard day. I am thankful for Trader Joe’s and all its delicious snacks. I am thankful for Taylor Swift, the 1975 and Harry Styles releasing new music this year. I am thankful for the Burlington Bus system that allows me to get to class and not have to walk up the huge hill from my house. I am thankful for the kids I work with at the local elementary school that enforce the fact that I am a “great teacher.” I am thankful for facetime that has allowed me to see the faces of my family and pups since I miss them so much. I am thankful for Taco Gordo. I am thankful for my weekly dinners with my best friend Grace. I am thankful for the fact that I can vote. I am thankful for Burlington’s sunsets that I get to see everyday when I walk home from class or work.
I strongly encourage you to think about all the little things you may be thankful for because it has really made me realize how amazing and beautiful each little thing is in my life. Being thankful for something or someone can be big or small and I hope that the next time someone asks what you are thankful for, you can think of something both big and small.
With lots of Love,
Emma