Giving Thanks

I’m always late on these blogging things. The posts write themselves in my head, just transferring the thoughts from my head to the computer is always the hardest part. But, yesterday was Thanksgiving.

For me, Thanksgiving is just one of those holidays that just, is. I don’t love it, I don’t hate it. My family is pretty small, so there’s never a big to-do with tons of food and family time. I mean, yes, there is tons of food, but that’s because we always cook so much so that we can have leftovers for days. (#turkeyandstuffing5ever)

Thanksgiving is also that time where everyone on social media posts things like “I’m so thankful for…” and “#thankful, #blessed,” etc. I get kind of stingy around Thanksgiving because I like to think that I’m thankful all the time, when in reality, I’m not.

If you think about it, we say the word, “Thanks” for almost anything. Someone gives you a present? “Thanks!” Someone asks how you’re doing? “I’m good, thanks.” Someone holds the door open for you? “Thanks.” We fill our lives with this word without really taking into account what it means each time we say it.

 

Thank (v.)- to express gratitude to (someone), a courteous response, “a heart full of thanks”

Did you read that correctly? A heart full of thanks? Now, how many times do we have a heart full of thanks when someone holds the door open for us? I’m grateful, but I don’t feel like it’s the greatest gift in the world. Sometimes the word “thanks” can be used ironically (it was the second definition Merriam Webster gave me).  The irony here is that a heart full of thanks is quite the opposite than saying thanks ironically- it kind of shows that you don’t really care. Perhaps if we started structuring our thoughts around the heartful definition, we would actually be more polite. The sense of unimportance in doing kind deeds would disappear. And, it would make ourselves more gracious to actually notice how our actions affect people.

 

But, enough with my criticism of society. I am eternally thankful for several things:

1. I’m thankful that my parents pay for college. I don’t know where I would be if they were not here to support me, verbally and financially. (I would be in a lot of debt, that’s where I’d be..) I know for a fact I don’t say thank you enough to them, so I extend my first heart full of gratitude towards my parents.
2. I’m thankful for my friends, whether they be the friends that let me vent all of my anger and rage over silly things or the friends that make spontaneous plans and allow me to forget all of my current troubles. I would be an emotional wreck without my friends, and I don’t give them enough credit for all the work they do in my life.
3. I’m thankful for the parts of me that make me, me. Wow, that didn’t sound like an egotistical statement at all. But seriously, I am thankful to be unique. I don’t embrace my crazy enough (more on that thought will come later, my friend), and sometimes I wish I were different. But, at the end of the day, specifically, Thanksgiving day, I am grateful to be myself with all of my flaws and rough edges.
4. I’m thankful for the Internet. This post would not have made its way to you without the Internet. I’m also thankful for this free country we live in, with no media restrictions. I’m free to voice my opinions, whether they be with the mainstream argument at the time or completely contradictory. Thank you, First Amendment!

And with that, I’m off to get some sleep before a busy day of Black Friday shopping. I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and truly remember what you mean when you say the word, “Thanks.”