Thanksgiving during a global pandemic? Who would have thought things would have been so different this year. Thanksgiving is usually the time when families gather together in one place to feast and celebrate the gift of family. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has written it off this year, as many families with more elderly members do not want to risk exposing their elderly with the virus and instead they plan to socially distance. This Thanksgiving, it's important to really reflect on what we are thankful for, especially since the pandemic has elucidated so many things we have taken for granted. Here are some things I've been thankful for:

I'm thankful for having cleaning products pre-pandemic.

You may have heard the stories of toilet paper being sold out immediately after it gets restocked. Luckily, we had already had them in our storage, so we did not contribute to the mass buying-out of certain items. Even before the pandemic, my house always had many cleaning products, and so because we had these products already, it reduced the amount of time we spent to buy them.

I'm thankful for having internet access and technology.

School cannot happen without internet and technology applications such as Zoom and Canvas. There is no way the world would be able to continue education without these resources. A huge issue was the accessibility of internet and technological devices in order to even continue an education during a pandemic, and so I'm grateful that I have a stable internet connection and a laptop for school. I also am thankful for video chatting so that I can catch up with friends and extended family. It's definitely difficult to imagine how life would have been without technology; everything would be in a standstill.

I'm thankful for being home with my family.

My family is a tight-knit group. I'm so grateful that my parents are able to continue providing for me and my brother. In college, I was not able to spend much time with them since I lived about two hours away. They would have to spend a lot of money every weekend on gas and food to spend time with me. They made so many sacrifices, and so I'm glad that I get to be home to spend more quality time with them. We have done many fun things, such as baking, gardening, cleaning, and watching movies. All of these things wouldn't have been possible if it weren't for the fact that I am fortunate enough to have a roof over my head, food on the table, and a safe home environment. The pandemic has been affecting many people negatively and has been exacerbating poor conditions. It is important for us to realize our blessings so that we stay humble and be more compassionate.