Thanks to Give

I will not get into the history of this holiday, because that would not be giving thanks. I am writing this post to talk about what this holiday means to me, and that is a day to give thanks. So today I am thankful and grateful for many things in my life. First of which is health. As I enter my late 20s I am becoming keenly aware of my body, and how it is not as resilient as it once was. However, it could be worse. I spend 8 hours a day, 5 days a week reading about people with poor health issues. If you were in my shoes, the very fact that you can read this without complaining about your back, heart, or trying to commit suicide, you too would give thanks. Thanks for the simple fact that you are alive. There is a chance that sometime since last Thanksgiving, you lost someone close to you; give thanks for having had that person in your life. Regardless of how brief their stay was, give thanks that they had some impact on you, and their memory continues to do so. Give thanks for your health no matter how little or much of it, no matter the state it is in, give thanks to it because you are alive.

I give thanks for my fortune. I am not speaking of finances, but simply your position in life. I am fortunate to have a full-time job, I am fortunate to have a roof over my head, I am fortunate to own a car, I am fortunate to have friends, I am fortunate to have family, I am fortunate to have my health. These little things are often taken for granted in life, and on a day like this I am fortunate enough to identify these things and give thanks to them. We should always be aware of our position in life and give thanks to it. If you are in school, give thanks for being in school; if you are looking for work, be thankful that there is the possibility of attaining that dream job; if you are homeless, be thankful that on a day like today you can find those who are more fortunate reaching out a helping hand.

I give thanks for myself. Knowing who I am, and how I want to live my life, I give thanks to that. Being self-aware is a powerful and wonderful thing. It helps you learn what you can and cannot tolerate. What benefits you and what is detrimental to you. Give thanks that while you may have made some bad choices in life, you can still make the right ones. Be thankful that you have met people in your life who have helped shape and mold you to the person you are today. Thankful for the good and bad experiences because without both, you would not have reached the health, fortune, and all other things you can be thankful for. So give thanks today because today is the day where you can take the time off and recognize all the things you have to be thankful for...oh and I thank you for reading.