For as long as I can remember, I’ve always loved Thanksgiving. As a young girl, something about all of the food and the desserts in the kitchen never failed to put a huge smile across my face.
But now, as I’ve gotten older, I’ve realized that this whole time I have loved Thanksgiving for the wrong reasons. When I was young, Thanksgiving was all about the stuffing and the mashed potatoes. But now, it means so much more to me. Thanksgiving shouldn’t just be about the food you’ll be eating or the drinks you’ll be drinking. It shouldn’t just be about the so-called “food coma” you’ll be in after eating your body weight in food. It shouldn’t be about the shopping you’ll be doing that night on Black Friday. Instead, it should be about family and celebrating all of the things you’re thankful for day in and day out.
So, this Thursday evening, I challenge you to be grateful for more than just the food you’re stuffing down your throat—I challenge you to embrace the real meaning of Thanksgiving and cherish all of the things you should be thankful for this Thanksgiving:
1. Waking up this morning
2. Your family's unconditional love
3. Your friends
4. Good health
5. Laughing until you cry
6. Nature
7. Your vision
8. A good book
9. The first snowfall of the season
10. Hugs
11. A bed to sleep on
12. The sound of stepping on newly-fallen leaves
13. Fridays
14. ...and Saturdays
15. Learning from mistakes
16. Fireplaces
17. Music
18. Road trips
19. The sound of waves crashing on the shore
20. Sweater weather
21. Your legs
22. Your lungs
23. Pets that will always cuddle with you
24. Soul mates
25. Baby giggles
26. Sunsets that paint the sky
27. Long phone calls
28. Your immune system
29. Siblings
30. Christmas lights
31. Fresh air
32. Deep conversations about life
33. Kind strangers
34. Driving with the windows down
35. Good hair days
36. Thunderstorms
37. Fuzzy socks
38. Waterfalls
39. Snow days
40. Being alive
