The first person I am thankful for is my mother. Last Thursday her mother passed away and I know Thanksgiving and Christmas are going to be hard for her. Her mother’s birthday is the day after Christmas so in fact I know Christmas will be difficult this year. She has always been the over the top mom when it comes to holidays and I hope this year I can keep her in high spirits. I feel pain for her because I can not imagine what it is like to not have your mom in this world and I pray that I don’t have to experience that for a long time. I’m thankful this Thanksgiving for not only everything my mom does for me and my family, but for the fact that I still have my mom with me.
The second person I am thankful for is my dad. I don’t think I have ever met a more honest, sincere, caring, stand up man in my entire life. And I’m not just saying that because he’s my dad. I’m saying that because that is who he is. He doesn’t have to say who he is because you see it in how he lives his life. I hope that I am half the human being he is and I hope one day I am at least half the parent he is to me. I never knew how much you can learn from a person by just watching them until I think about everything my dad has taught me. He has taught me to be compassionate when I am upset or angry. He has taught me to always be honest and work hard. He has taught me how important it is to help others in need. He has also taught me how give respect and earn respect, how to communicate with people, and how to do things that I think I can’t do because I’m a girl. If every girl was as lucky as me to have a dad like mine, this world would be a better place.
The next person I am thankful for is my boyfriend. I know that may sound like a cliche – but it’s true. He amazes me everyday by how much he helps people. He is always there if someone needs him and he gives me more support than I ever thought I needed. I don’t know if it’s because he is a stand up guy like my dad or if it’s his ability to make me laugh until I cry and my sides are burning, but I always seem to want him near me. He is three years younger than me, but he is more mature than half of the grown men I know. To say I lucked out in the romance department would be an understatement.
I am also thankful for my boyfriends family. Not only is his sister my best friend, but his parents are amazing! I have always heard the saying “when you marry the man, you marry his family too”. Well I am going to say “when you date a man, you are dating his family too”. After dating some guys with crazy mothers, fathers, or siblings, I am happy to say I have struck gold with this group. His parents remind me of my parents. They are funny when it’s time to be funny, teachers when it’s time to teach and supporters when their loved ones need support. I could not be more thankful that they have taken me in as part of their family. It was as if we clicked instantly and they clicked instantly with my parents too. To me this is a very good sign and likely that I have landed just where I belong.
I am thankful for my friends. They are a support group like no other and I can’t imagine not having them in my life. We are a bunch of jokesters who bring humor to any situation, but we know when one us needs the other and we come together in the best and worst of times. To only be 22 and 23 years old, we have experienced many different things in our lives and we have all been there together through it all.
Now let’s get to the things I am thankful for. I am thankful for Thanksgiving! Sometimes I think people over look Thanksgiving because they are either excited about Halloween or Christmas or both. But Thanksgiving is very important. The history of Thanksgiving, the meaning of Thanksgiving and the fellowship that takes place on Thanksgiving is very important. Most people tell their families and friends what they are thankful for and that they are thankful for them as well. What we should all do is tell the people we are thankful for that we appreciate them and love them year round, but this holiday reminds us to do that. How great is that! To have a day to remind everyone to tell your loved ones you are thankful for them and to try and remind them of that more!
As simplistic as it may sound, Thanksgiving makes me thankful for food. Not just the heaping dump truck full of food I eat on Thanksgiving day, but just food in general. I have never had to experience starvation in my entire life. I have never gone without water to drink. This Thanksgiving I am thankful for the necessities to survive because I know some people are starving on Thanksgiving. Some people don’t have a roof over their head or clothes on their back. This Thanksgiving I am thankful for the food I receive and the food I give to others. This Thanksgiving I plan to give more food year round and not just during the holiday season.
I am thankful for my dog. I LOVE my dog. Yes, I am a crazy dog lady. I predict in my future to live somewhere with a lot of land and have about 10 dogs running around everywhere. I’m going to be that woman that no one wants to come to her house because she has too many dogs. But hey, sometimes I love to be around my dog more than people. The current dog – notice I just said one dog – I own is a Mini Australian Shepard named Bear and he is the cutest, softest, most cuddly dog I have ever had. His favorite things to do are chase birds and squirrels (obviously) and try to out run cars (I know, I know). Luckily with the help of my mom I have him trained pretty well to keep him from running in front of a car. But when I go to my parent’s house where they have an underground fence for their dogs, Bear will stay outside in the front yard all day long just running back and forth alongside any passing car going down the street. And that is as close as he will ever get!
I am thankful for my bed. My bed is so comfortable. If you ask anyone close to me they will tell you that I love to sleep. I love to get my eight hours every night and I love to take my naps. As a college student, I realize how important sleep is and I know the effects my mind and my body take when I don’t get enough sleep. This Thanksgiving I am thankful that I have a comfortable bed to snuggle into at night.
I know some of the things I’ve said I’m thankful for seem trivial, but these are the things that make me happy. These are the things I can’t see myself living without. These are the things that make me thankful. With that being said, the tenth thing I am thankful for is hot showers. Hot showers can make me feel like a brand new woman. There is nothing better after a long day than to come home, take a hot shower, lay in my comfy bed, and snuggle with Bear until I fall asleep. When I sit down and think about it, these are some of the times I am most thankful for. I am thankful for the days when I take hot showers – and I take hot showers everyday.
natalie hodges 