‘Tis The Season To Be Grateful

Halloween has passed. We’ve devoured all the chocolate we can eat–while of course picking through them to find our favorites–and now we’re ready to bring on the next holiday. We all remember its name as the memories of paper pilgrim hats from kindergarten flash in our heads–Thanksgiving! 

Usually, it’s the ELA teacher making you write about everything you’re grateful for when the holiday comes ‘round, but have you ever thought of doing it on your own? Yes, yes, surely you’re grateful for friends and family, but what about the little things? Like the phone you’ll watch Tik Tok on tonight, or the new hoodie your mom bought you last week. Or maybe it’s not things, maybe it’s memories. That one time your friend’s joke made you laugh so hard you peed your pants. Or the words of girl advice your dad gave you when you were ten. Either way, the list never stops, it can go on and on forever if you really want it to, because gratitude isn’t something that comes naturally to us humans. You have to search for thankfulness in your life of chaos. It’s those moments on the basketball court where you feel like you can’t take another step, or emotional breakdowns over math homework–when you have to stop and breathe. You have to appreciate that you even have the opportunity to better yourself. 

Of course, gratitude means something different to everyone, so what does it mean to you? Will you write letters to people you’re grateful for this holiday season? Or make dinner for your parents? Or maybe you’ll pick up trash on the ground in appreciation for our planet. Whatever the case may be for you, it means something. Obviously it’ll mean a lot to the people around you, but possibly even yourself. Showing thankfulness can make you feel more important, like you’re involved and not just letting everything around happen unnoticed. So if not showing gratitude for others, do it for yourself.