In life, there are so many little things that can be easily taken for granted. For many of us, we simply forget to express our appreciation for the little things that are such a normal part of our daily lives. Yet, if these things suddenly disappeared, we would miss them terribly. As a college freshman, I am extra thankful this year. There are so many little things that I have missed while being away from home for the first time. Although it is strange to think about it, it is incredibly true that we don't always realize how lucky we are for something until we have to live everyday life without it. I always knew that I would miss my family, my friends, my home and my town; what I didn't realize is that there are so many little things about my family, friends, home and town that I would truly miss so much.

My college gives me almost a week off from school for Thanksgiving. I am very much looking forward to taking this time to really reflect and appreciate all of the reasons that I am so thankful for all of the parts of my life. I will not take anything for granted. I believe many college students and people who have been away from home for an extended period of time feel the same way. My friends and I often talk about our lives before we came to college. Of course, all of the people, places and experiences from our past have shaped us into the people we are today. I have realized this from the conversations we have. My friends and I are so lucky to come from such loving backgrounds.

Recently, one of my best friends and I were talking about her weekend when she went home. She told me, "I fell asleep watching TV late at night on the couch and my mom woke me up to say goodnight." I responded, "Aw, it must have been so nice to have been waken up by your mom! That is something my mom would have done too." In college, I am so accustomed to waking up to my cell phone alarm that waking up to my mom's caring voice now would be the most happy and pleasant surprise.

It's the little things, just like that, that I miss so much now that I am living away from home. In a way, I needed to move away from home to understand how such a little gesture could be so meaningful. Unfortunately, it is true that I would have taken something like that for granted before. When I am home this upcoming week, I will appreciate everything and express my gratitude. Not only will I say that I am thankful for my mom, for example, but I will say I'm thankful for all the little things she does for me, such as waking me up to say goodnight. I'll do this for all my family members, friends and the places in my life; I'll not only count my blessings, but I'll count the reasons that each of my blessings are so special to me.