I see Thanksgiving as much more than a yearly opportunity to gorge oneself on good food and celebrate with family. I see Thanksgiving as a time to reflect on what exactly one is thankful for in life, and what one can do to help others. Over the past year a lot of things have occurred and giving thanks to everything and everyone would take up pages and pages. As I reflected over the past weekend a few things came to mind that I believe I am the most thankful for. Some of these things were painfully obvious, and others required some meditation due to them being pretty nuanced. But, here is what I am thankful for this year.

I am thankful to be given the opportunity to watch my younger brother graduate from the US Marine Corps, and to see him carry on a legacy that my fathers and their fathers before them passed down.

I am thankful for my parents who have pushed and supported my endeavors to this point in my collegiate career. The high standard that I set myself to today can be directly attributed to the standard they set for me when I was being raised.

I am thankful for the continuous sacrifices my parents make to help me get through school, to help take care of me when needed, and for being my rocks when the ocean of life gets pretty choppy.

I am thankful for the ability to have worked as a grocery bagger and a lifeguard over the summer on Dyess AFB in Abilene, Texas. It was a great opportunity to work full time for the first time, and to understand the effort it takes in earning money. It was also a great time to make friends, and I was given experiences that I don’t think I will forget.

I am thankful for my little brothers who made my time at home so tolerable this summer. It was great to be with them and to watch them, even if for a few months, grow to be good young men.

I am thankful for the opportunity to have played golf alongside my youngest brother. I am not good at it, I knew that going into it, but I was happy nonetheless to see him happy doing something that he loves.

I am thankful for the ability to go to a great college. It has given me the ability to grow more as individual, and has given me the opportunities and tools to be able to help change the world for the better.

I am thankful for the friendships that I have made this year as even the smallest of conversations are meaningful to me.

I am thankful for the opportunity to be able to practice martial arts on my college campus, and to be able to compete across the nation in the sport. I am thankful of the ability to maintain my passion, and to allow the lessons learned in it to transfer over to life.

I am thankful for the chance given to me by fraternity as a sophomore to lead my chapter. I learned a lot during my term as President that will definitely translate to how I lead organizations and teams for the rest of my life. I am thankful for my chapter's trust then, and their trust that they continue to put in me.

Lastly, I am thankful to be given the chance to wake up in the morning. We are never promised tomorrow, so I am happy that I’m given the time to make a change in whatever way possible!