October has finished. The pumpkins are out, have been out, the leaves have been painted various shades of red, orange, and yellow, and the sun is setting sooner (making it easier for some of us to get up in the morning because of the earlier sunrise!). Fall has finally, finally settled in… apart from the unnatural weather here in the so-called Natural State. There is a wide spectrum of what happens between now and December. Some people are waiting until the month actually starts to put up any decorations, while others have already gone on to decorating the house in nothing but red and green. Despite people already jumping ship to Christmas time, even though Halloween only ended some days ago, it’s November, and that can only truly mean one thing: Thanksgiving.
It’s time to dream about warm Thanksgiving dinners, time spent with family, close and distant, and just having a nice break from the troubles that life gives us through our school, work, or personal lives.
But with all of us being caught up in preparing for vacations or dinners, or maybe even worrying about Black Friday deals coming up, sometimes it can be easy to forget about the true purpose of Thanksgiving: to show our gratitude towards the important things in our life, big or small.
There are a lot of things going on at this point in life, and with the year wrapping up soon, it can be very overwhelming, and sometimes it’s easy to think about what you could have instead of what you do have. Sometimes it’s easy to think about what you want in life, and get caught up in everything that is lacking.
That’s why it’s more important than ever that this Thanksgiving, we appreciate what we are given in our lives.
We can show thanks to the people in our lives, not just our immediate and distant families. We can thank friends who have supported us throughout difficult times, teachers or coworkers who have been a source of comfort, and more. We do not need to limit it to the people that we are related to by blood. Family can have lots of different meanings depending on the person.
We can show thanks to events that are happening in our lives. It doesn’t have to be a grand event that has completely changed the course of your year. It doesn’t have to be something that marks a new shift in your life, like a new job or moving somewhere new. Things that happen in our lives also include the little things, such as having a cup of your favorite fall drink, or getting to cuddle in and watch your favorite TV show over the weekend.
We all have worked incredibly hard this 2023. It is time that we take a break, but while taking this break, it’s critical that we make sure that we find at least one thing or person to be grateful for. The ability to show gratitude means that you are living a successful life in some way. The beauty of life isn’t involved in gaining new things any more than it is about appreciating what you are given.
This Thanksgiving, as you relax, whether you celebrate traditionally or otherwise, make sure that you find something to be grateful for. Find something worth giving gratitude to. Even the smallest bit of appreciation for something in your life helps the realization that life is something to be appreciated even when it seems like it might be against you.
From the LOUDWomen community, we wish you all a Happy Thanksgiving! Take a break, and appreciate something in your life, big or small!
Abhi Saravanan
Bentonville West High School
Instagram: @abso1ut3ly.abhi