Give Thanks

So apparently Thanksgiving is tomorrow and it really got me thinking. Do we even give thanks on Thanksgiving? I feel like we just eat turkey and hangout with our family. Is that what it’s supposed to be? And if we are supposed to be giving thanks, what are we to be thankful for and who are we to be thankful for?

I don’t know about you, but in the past I can’t remember ever giving thanks to anyone on Thanksgiving. I guess I never really understood the essence of Thanksgiving until I went away for college. By that I mean that I was always used to seeing my family every day, and I was never thankful to spend Thanksgiving with them. Yes I had a great time with them every year, but I never understood that I should be thankful to be able to spend that time with them.

 Now bear with me as I tell you what I’m thankful for. First and foremost, I am thankful for my family. I am thankful that they are so supportive of me in everything that I do and that they’re always there for me when I need them. I am also thankful for my amazing girlfriend. She always knows the right thing to say in every situation and I love her to death. I am thankful for my health and the health of all of my friends and family. I am thankful that I am able to go to such a great college and play baseball, my one constant and true love. Basically, I’m just thankful that I have a happy life with people around me that I can count on and that I can help when they need it.

I hate thinking about the fact that some people don’t have people in their life and aren’t happy in their lives. Hearing stories about the things that some of my new friends have gone through absolutely break my heart. Some people don’t have family to be thankful for, and they keep going through life as strong as ever. Be thankful that you have that family, and be thankful that you can spend Thanksgiving with them.

Still, these people that have gone through unthinkable things go through life thankful for everything. I’ve been so blind to how lucky I am. And that is why I want to thank everybody in my life for everything that they have ever done. Everything that they have ever done to help me and hurt me. Because those things that hurt me were never permanent, and I always grew most from those things.

For those of you that think you’re going through something really hard know that there are people that have it worse than you. Be thankful for the things that you have despite any of the hardships in your life. Know that no matter what it is, you’ll get through it eventually. Be thankful that those hardships are there to help you grow.

  

The world doesn’t owe anything to any of us; no one owes anything to us. We are all blessed to have the things we do in life. Even the little things. I think Thanksgiving is about being thankful for life in general. It means being thankful for every little thing in life that has made you the person that you are today. Naturally, that includes being thankful for all of the people that have shaped you in life. I’m disappointed that it has taken me so long to be thankful, but now that I am I don’t think that will ever change. Thank you all and I hope that everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.

-Eric Proulx