Being Grateful

I love Thanksgiving. It is a time that is dedicated to gratitude. We are not given opportunities like that often. What a unique holiday we celebrate. I have often wondered why other countries do not have a holiday similar to ours. If every person on this planet spend just one day, even just 10 minutes, pondering on their many blessings our world would be so much better.

It was not until recently that I started to think about all of my blessings. I have a wonderful family (both immediate and extended) that I would not change for the world. Yesterday as we were all eating Thanksgiving dinner together I looked around and marveled at the thought that I am going to be with them forever. I had been listening to the radio a few days ago and the radio announcer said something to the effect of, "Thanksgiving is the one time a year we get together, and withing the first 30 minutes I remember why we only get together once." How sad is that? If I could I would be with my extended family all the time. I love them!

I am also grateful for the opportunity I have to go to a great school and learn. At first school was difficult and I felt that I was being cursed, but then I started to think of all those people that do not have the choice to go to school and what they would give up for just one day of learning. This made me realize that I need to make the most of my time in school. I am able to go to a class and listen to a professor teach day after day. What a blessing this is.

I am grateful for a warm bed to sleep in, a wonderful house to come home to, a dishwasher, microwave, stove, oven, running water, a toilet :), shower, washing machine and dryer, clothes that keep me warm, blankets, friends, family, school, food and so much more. What a blessed place we live in.