Something to be thankful for

Every time November and December rolls around, the same question always resurfaces: “What are you thankful for?”

Typically, the same answers are given. Money, fast cars, nice clothes, sports for the simple fact that they can have those luxuries in life.

Some are thankful for money, but they don’t realize that a kid who sits next to them in class has had to go hungry just so their younger siblings can eat because mom and dad don’t have enough money to feed all the mouths.

Some are thankful for fast cars, but don’t realize that the old man they see every day rides the bus because he can’t afford a car or the gas to fill his tank. Even though some kids ask their parents for gas money without even second guessing.

Several are thankful for nice clothes, but they don’t realize the lady they laughed at for the clothes she was wearing, are the only ones she can afford because money isn’t available.

But do people really realize how much they have to be thankful for? People should see the things that have more meaning than clothes, money, or sports.

Things like education because women and children around the world are sacrificing their lives just to have an elementary level education. In countries like Somalia and Haiti, the education rate is at 10% for children attending primary schools. Whereas in America, kids skip school for the simple fact that they don’t feel like waking up at seven AM because that’s too early. Or because they have “better things to do than listen to teachers for seven hours”.

No matter how rough it may get, people should always be thankful for their lives. Not just thankful for it on the holidays, but grateful for it every day. Not everyone has the opportunity to make it as far in life because of things like; disease, poverty, drought, and famine, murder, suicide. These things claim lives every day, but you’re lucky. You still get to wake up every morning and continue the road to your dream.

They may be annoying and demanding at times, but never take your family for granted. Always be thankful that you have your family. Your siblings. Grandparents. Even your pets because those too, count as family. Someone in the world, is lying in a bed inside of a Home for Children just wishing they had a mother “bossing” them around, saying things like, “clean your messy room”, “do the dishes”. They’re wishing they had a father to play catch with or lay on the floor and color. Even though your family can be dysfunctional at times and may make you want to pull your hair at all ends, be thankful because you have them for life.  

Even though it may lead you in the wrong directions sometimes and cause you lots of aches and pain throughout your teenage years, be thankful for your heart. And with that, all your other organs. On average, 22 people die every day while waiting for a transplant because an organ couldn’t complete the task at hand and they had to be transferred to the waiting list. Since the day you were born, all your organs have been completing their designed tasks without any major issues. Be thankful that you get to live each day never wondering if you’ll go another day without a call from the transplant list. Be thankful you aren’t one out of 22.

The list of things to be thankful for goes on. The next time you’re gathered around the dinner table with your family, stop and think of all they’ve done for you. Stop being thankful for materialistic things and start being thankful for things that don’t come easy to those in the world. This year, instead of being thankful for money or clothes, make someone else thankful for you and donate a little bit of the luxuries you have. You never know, maybe it’ll help you open your eyes to all the things around you. Shut off the computer and put down the phone, you might begin to be thankful for the small things like fresh air or the peace and quiet of your neighborhood. You might begin to realize what it means to truly be thankful.