In honor of Thanksgiving being this week, I though t I would take a few minutes and reflect on why I am so thankful for everything and everyone in my life. Thanksgiving is a lot more than a much needed break from college and a few home cooked meals. It’s about going home, appreciating your hometown, your family, your friends and your pets. I will tell you that I never appreciated where I lived until I moved away for college. Speaking of college, what a semester…am I right??? Though I can admit this semester is kicking my butt, I have a lot of things to be thankful for. I don’t believe that I stop and thoroughly think abou tall the amazing things and people that I have in my life. We have hit that point in the semester, where I am the queen of complaining, but tend to forget about all the good things in my life, so I thought I would think about and examine all of the wonderful things in my life.

I am unbelievably thankful to be a college athlete. I am not a Divion I athlete and I will not be going pro ever, but I get to go into the gym every day, release some stress and play the game I love. Not many people can say that they were a four year college athlete and I am about one year away from that and it’s an incredible feeling of accomplishment.

I am thankful for my college education I am working for. Like I said before, this semester is kicking my butt, late nights, a lot of work. Trying to balance an athlete’s schedule on top of that is no easy task, but I am blessed by the great Man upstairs for this wonderful opportunity to study something I am passionate about at a private institution. There are many people who would kill to attend any sort of college, but it’s just not in their cards. I am determined to not waste this opportunity.

I am thankful for my friends. I have the world’s greatest friends bar none! Always there for advice and ready to have fun and go on adventures with me. I am so incredibly thankful for all of the new friends that I have met in college these past two and a half years. I have learned a lot about true friendship and how to meet new people and live with them. In addition to my school friends I am so grateful for all of my home friends that I have stayed close with. It’s amazing to have friends in two different places and not be lonely and bored when I return home for breaks.

I am thankful for my dogs. You don’t realize how much you miss your puppies until you move away from them and there aren’t that many dogs around a college campus! My fur-friends make life more fun!

I am thankful for my family. I could not have asked to be put into a better family. I am so appreciative of everything that my family does for one another. They are my constant support systems and the rocks in my life. Living away from them is hard, but getting all together makes it all worth it. I am so incredibly blessed to have been born in to the family I was. I love my mom, dad and two younger sisters.

Finally, I am thankful for God and his ability to foster a relationship with me. As a struggling college student who sometimes does not know where to turn and what to do, I know He always has my back. My faith is one of the most important parts of who I am and I am thankful for my amazing and wonderful God.

I am stressed, I am tired, I am worn out, but writing down everything I am thankful for reminded me just how truly rich I am! I was able to take a step back from my difficulties and realize I have a lot to be thankful for in this crazy life. I challenge you to do the same, write down what you are thankful for. Have a great Thanksgiving, and may God bless you a