This year is the first time I won't be home for Thanksgiving. Not only am I not at home, but I'm not even in the country. It feels wrong to miss Thanksgiving. Maybe not "wrong" per se, but it definitely feels foreign (pun intended). I know they have turkey and mashed potatoes in Scotland, but the holiday is more than just about the food. So, although I won't be able to join in on the annual Thanksgiving feast at my grandparents' house, that doesn't mean I shouldn't still reflect on what I'm thankful for.
1. I'm thankful for my family and my pets. As cliche as this sounds, I truly couldn't live without them. They provide so much love in my life, and now that I'm away for study abroad, I miss them like crazy!
2. I'm thankful for my amazing friends. They have been there for me and put up with me for the past several years of my life. You know who you are!
3. I'm thankful for my education. Not everyone gets to go to college. Not everyone even wants to go to college. At this point in my life, I can't imagine myself in any other position.
4. I'm thankful for financial security. Growing up, I always had a roof over my head and food on my plate. Even though I'm now in college, I still don't know what it's like to be completely broke. I've never been rich, not even close, but I'm lucky enough to go to a school that offers loads of financial aid (they even gave me a generous food stipend for study abroad and paid for my flights). That, and I'm obsessed with saving money.
5. I'm thankful for my health. I'm not the fittest person in the world, I don't eat the healthiest and I'm tired for no reason sometimes, but I haven't been sick in almost two years (knock on wood)!
6. I'm thankful for kindness. I know that it seems like the world is lacking in kindness lately, but that's what makes it special. Most people I meet are at least decent, but when people go out of their way to be kind to someone else, it warms my heart. I'm thankful for it, but the world needs more of it.
7. I'm thankful for being thankful! A lot of people take what they have for granted, and honestly, I do too sometimes. Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on what you have and to be thankful for it, but my wish is that people do it every day. Always remember that there are people who don't have as much as you have, and be thankful for the things in your life that make you happy. When you sit down to Thanksgiving dinner, take the time to observe the true meaning of the holiday. And that true meaning is giving thanks. Even if you're only thankful for your food, that's at least some place to start!
