I wanted to be one of those people this year who posted on Facebook about why they were thankful, who in their life they were thankful for, and all that. But I'm just not that organized. So several days late, I give you the third-grade "I am thankful fors."

I am thankful for the people who sat around my Thanksgiving dinner table this year. I am grateful that the political discussions we were having were about who was going to the women's march on Washington, D.C., and about what our next steps should be, and about the movement toward creating Sanctuary Campuses. I will never forget how beautiful it was not to have to worry that I wasn't going to be accepted or treated fairly, and while I recognize and deeply sympathize with those in a different position; I am forever grateful I was able to focus my energies on what I can do to fix things rather than arguing to be heard.

I am thankful that over this past year; I've had so many wonderful people supporting my writing in lots of different ways. Whether that meant they were audience members at a performance of a play I wrote; or they were instrumental in causing that performance to occur; or they simply paid attention to my Odyssey articles some of the time. I am so very grateful that there is such a large number of people in my life who are interested in what I am creating.

I am thankful for the people this past year who put their faith in me to bring their worlds to life. I was able to be a part of two really exciting new projects as an actor, and I was able to help bring someone else's vision to life while restoring my own belief in myself as an actor. I'm still not quite sure where I stand on that status, but through these talented people's work, I was able to meet lots of great new friends and learn a lot about what being Jewish means.

I am thankful for my mom, who was there every second of my insane college process and who has made the leap with me as I chose to pursue theatre and turn what was a hobby into a career. I've asked her before why she never got me into professional acting as a kid (since she works in television) and she told me it was because she didn't want me to be the kid misbehaving, who everyone rolled their eyes about secretly (or not-so-secretly). Even though in the past I've wished I had started earlier, I've reached the point now of being grateful that I was able to grow up going to public school and forging my own path to the theatre world.

I am thankful for my dad, who has always kept me calm and grounded and reminded me that I do enjoy math when I have a good teacher. And in continuing to suggest I try calculus again and take math courses, while still being incredibly supportive of my passion for theatre, he has shown me that I have choices, and it's not a bad thing to change my mind sometimes--and that now is the perfect time to change it a lot. And I'm thankful for my dad because he makes me laugh. A lot.

I am thankful for my brother, because even though we don't share the same interests at all, we are able to find enough common ground and know each other well enough to have inside jokes anyway. I am grateful that he gets interested in musical theatre even though he insists he doesn't like it, and can make theatre jokes to me. And I am grateful that he has gotten obsessed with enough slightly ridiculous songs for me to learn that I am able to sing along with him.

I am thankful for my sister, because we can never stay in a fight for more than a couple hours and especially as I'm adjusting to living in a new place far away from her and the rest of my family and most of my friends, that is a type of friendship that is much needed in my life. And I am grateful that even if I get crazy-busy and don't text her for a few days, she's still up for a FaceTime to talk about the drama in both of our lives.

I am thankful for my friends who are like sisters to me, both at college and from home. It doesn't mean I love or value my own sister any less, but it does mean I have a wonderful support system and family when I'm far away from my own. I treasure the Snapchat streaks with college friends and high school friends (and with my sister and "honorary sister"--I still feel terrible about losing our 100+ streak, can you ever forgive me?). I treasure the keychain from my Big that says "World's Greatest Sister," because she gave it to me before we even really knew each other, but I think it is a statement about our friendship that has since come true. And I treasure the many relics of home--programs from some of my favorite shows I've worked on, with some of my favorite people; a picture with my cousin when she took me to a show that turned out to be my first nightclub experience; a melted-crayon artwork on my wall that is so many years old now, my best friend who made it with me might not even remember it; and the Woman Card my mom gave me when an extra one came in the mail for her.

I spent most of Thanksgiving Day trying to figure out how to say thank you to the countless people who have touched my life this year and every year, and I think the best way to do that is just to continue loving them and spreading the love that they have shown me to other people. I am thankful for the people who taught me how and why to love, and I am thankful for the people who showed me how I, too, can teach love.