Why does it take until the third Thursday of November for the American people to be thankful? It’s just the American people, too. Europeans, Australians, Asians, and all other nationalities neglect to single out an entire day for thanks. Of course, that stems from the very origins of the holiday. The pilgrims in America celebrated the harvest with the American Indians, not the Pilgrims in Europe or the Indians in Africa. Therefore, the holiday is naturally very American-centered. However, the lack of a single day of devotion to thanks in other countries forces citizens to be thankful every day of their lives. Maybe Americans should take the lead on that. I don’t mean in any way to skip the delicious mounds of food which arrive on this holiday. However, I do mean that we should all be grateful every day, especially about these ten things.

1. Life

It’s the basic things which we should be grateful for. I feel like this is the most important basic thing which we should all be thankful for. Without life, all the other things on this list become irrelevant. It may even seem so basic that it’s silly. However, the gift of life is a gift that not everyone is granted. The pain which death causes affects family and friends. So, we should be thankful that we are here, but also be thankful our family and friends are still with us as well. Along with giving thanks, we should always be aware of the fragility which life holds. We must remember that life is first and foremost a gift. If it wasn’t, then we wouldn’t be thankful for it. Therefore, live life to the fullest, always keeping in mind the gift which it grants us.

2. Family

I kind of touched on this previously; however, it is still so important. Family makes life enjoyable. They are there for you when you fall or when you succeed. Family does not mean blood either. I have numerous friends I consider to be my family. Notice how friends are not on this list either. I believe if a friend is loyal and caring, among other traits, they become family. Therefore, we should be especially thankful for those friends who have become family. Also, not all families are whole this holiday season and always. Some families lose members to arguments, death, or military. Those are the families we should keep in mind. Those are the families which make us grateful for the whole families.

3. Education

We constantly hear about the young women in Africa who have been denied an education. Education, like life, is a gift, and one we should all be thankful for. The reason I can write this post or you can read it is because of education.

4. Freedom

‘Merica.

5. Shelter

Hop on the train, travel a couple hours, get off in New York City, walk a couple blocks, and tell me how many homeless men and women you see. Now, look at the temperature and ask yourself if you would want to live the life they must live. Regardless of the situations which transpired and caused them to be homeless, the fact is, they are homeless. However, when you hop on the train to return home, you are returning to a nice, warm room. In fact, many of us have two homes. Our dorm at Marist, and our home from which we come. Therefore, we should be extra grateful.

6. Clothes

That same homeless man is probably lacking proper clothing for the weather. Those women in Africa which are also deprived of an education are also deprived of proper footwear or clothing. Meanwhile, hours after we give thanks, thousands of Americans rush to the store to get more clothes, shoes, and objects which we don’t really need. It is usually at the moment in which we wait in line for hours for simple material things like a bigger TV when we often forget to be grateful for the basic things which we have, like warm clothing or proper shoes.

7. Food

Not just the mountain of food which we put on our plate on Thanksgiving, but the food we are able to have every day. Some go days struggling to get by with no idea of where their next meal is coming from. We luckily don’t have that problem, andwe should be thankful for that.

8. Running water

As I was thinking about things for this list, I sawmy shampoo bottle. I was grateful at the feeling of cleanliness which came over me at that moment, the moment when I get out of the shower and the moment when I wash my face. It’s truly an amazing gift to be able to hop in the shower and feel clean. Some are forced to bathe in a lake or by a bucket, making running water and the feeling of clean a gift. Having fresh water come spewing out of the sink faucet on command is also a grand luxury, a luxury which is not granted to most third world countries or those who are homeless. Some must walk for hours in search of clean drinking water. We must consider ourselves lucky enough to feel the amazing feeling of clean upon stepping out of a shower, using the toilet, or quenching our thirst with water from the faucet.

9. Toilet paper

When I was in high school, we heard a talk from a woman who was forced into the concentration camps of World War II.She told us story after story of the harsh realities which she lived through. The thing that stuck in my head most of all was her lack of toilet paper. She had no toilet paper to use and would be punished if she used anything at all. She describes the overwhelming feeling of dirtiness. She finally took a piece of cloth from her dress and used it as toilet paper. Ever since then, I have acknowledged how lucky I am to live every day with the little luxuries, such as toilet paper.