It is quite easy to be thankful during Thanksgiving — family is gathered around, you have a full belly and, if you’re lucky, you get a break from work. However, the week after Thanksgiving can be a little different. If you’re anything like me, you’re back to the humdrum monotony of work or school or, in my case, both. However, here are a few things I am thankful for, even though Thanksgiving has already passed. After all, an attitude of gratitude never goes out of style.
1. My very loud family.
2. My nephew.
3. The quickly approaching end to this semester.
4. Christmas break (please hurry).
5. My professors (I promise I don’t write this to try and get all A’s, but wow, my professors are all great people and are so good looking and teach so well and dress in an incredibly sharp manner and have really great hair and I really like A’s, so if you know them, direct them to this article).
6. The fact that my body that can still kinda do semi-athletic things when I need it to.
7. My ability to write what and how I please.
8. Monday afternoon spin class.
9. A job that I enjoy.
10. A running car.
11. My roommates.
12. Technology that allows me to keep in touch and keep up with friends and family.
13. John Mayer’s new album (only one single has been released and it’s a good one).
14. My being born in a small town.
15. The honor of being a Kappa Delta and the 200+ sisters it's given me.
16. The fact that my mother always buys my pants a bit too big (after last week, it’s quite handy).
17. The ability to receive a great education.
18. The fact that I am very close to being done with the aforementioned education (how am I about to graduate?!).
19. Laughter and lots of it.
20. The changing leaves in fall.
21. All things beach related.
22. The fact that I will get to teach in the near future.
23. My increased typing speed for, without it, I probably wouldn’t have lasted too long at this whole writing gig.
24. The flannels that make up my entire wardrobe.
25. Rain, particularly in times when we are in sincere need of it.
26. Living in a free country.
27. The “Relaxation” station on Pandora (if you don’t have it, you should).
28. All I have learned in college, especially the stuff that has nothing to do with academia.
29. Intramural sports.
30. Dogs, dogs, dogs, dogs, dogs, dogs, and more dogs.
31. Big ol’ bear hugs.
33. "Grey’s Anatomy," even though Shonda Rhimes rips out my heart weekly.
34. The fact that, after four years, I am done with Spanish. I somehow escaped without being fluent in the slightest bit, and while that is terrible of me, it’s impressive in a sense.
25. Paul Ryan.
What a babe.
26. Also, while we are talking about babes, how about this guy? I'm thankful for him, too.
His name doesn’t quite come to me at this time, but I dig him. A lot.
27. The fact that my newsfeed on Facebook is no longer filled with political posts.
28. Thanksgiving leftovers.
29. Milledgeville, GA: my favorite college town.
30. The Georgia Bulldawgs, even though I don’t think we are going to nab that National Championship this year.
31. The way cotton fields smell.
32. Being able to get together with old friends.
33. My Gran’s wisdom that has yet to fail me.
34. The ability to love deeply and fully.
35. The ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ and His never ending, never failing grace and love that is sufficient to fill every hole and fix every ailment our hearts could ever have.