As everyone knows, this year was awful. However, the pandemic changed my life. For starters, I went from enjoying my freshman year of college to taking online classes at home, which I am still doing. We were all forced to isolate ourselves in our homes for months. I am lucky that I didn’t lose anyone to COVID-19, but I know that many people in this world lost their loved ones to this heinous virus. I guess the question I ask myself a lot is how can I find things to be thankful for in this awful year? I am very lucky to be in the situation I am today and to still be COVID free, however, I don’t speak for everyone. This is just what I am thankful for, given my circumstances today.Â
- My family: While my parents and I don’t always get along, I am still forever grateful for them for helping me get through this year. If it wasn’t for them, I would be unmotivated and sad all of the time. They let me get a puppy this year, who can be a pain sometimes, but I am so lucky to have him along with my older dog who is like a best friend to me. I am also thankful for my brother, who I may not always get to see, but he is out there saving lives. I am thankful for my family who makes my life easier to live.Â
- My friends: I know everyone’s relationships with their friends may have changed during quarantine; maybe you stopped talking to some people who didn’t appreciate you like you deserved to be appreciated. Or, maybe, you made new online friendships with people you didn’t know before but got the time to know better during quarantine. Everyone’s experience was different, however, for me, I took this time to get closer to my college friends and rekindle some past friendships. I am thankful to have amazing friends who brighten up my life.Â
- Nature:Â This one may seem weird, but I am thankful for nature. We are so lucky to have such a beautiful planet, that we must keep clean (climate change is very much real) and appreciate it. Nature definitely made quarantine more bearable. I could go outside and go on a walk, which helped me forget that we were in a pandemic for a few hours. It was nice to see the clear skies during the warmer months and flowers blooming. I am thankful for the beauties in this world, nature being one of them.Â
- Music: Whenever I was stressed or overwhelmed with online school or just the unknown of this virus, I would put on music. Most of the time it was to clean my room for the tenth time that week, but it still made my time in quarantine enjoyable. It is nice to tune yourself out of the world sometimes, which I think music allows me to do best. Music is food for your brain, so I make sure that I always listen to music at least a few times a day. I am thankful for the creative artists in this world because they make life more enjoyable.Â
- Life: I am thankful for being alive. While life may get tough, especially during this year, I finally understood that we really do only get one life and we need to make the most of it. I know being in quarantine was not what I wanted to be doing, but it changed how I see myself and how I see life. I don’t take anything for granted now because I never know when my life may turn upside down. I will never know when my last day is on this earth, so I might as well live it to the fullest. It is hard for me to figure out what is so great about life right now because I am stuck at home still, but it is this life that gave me everything I am thankful for today.Â
Overall, I am thankful for myself. It is me against the world. Only I know what is best for myself and what I truly want in this world. I am not happy with the way 2020 turned out for anyone, but next year can hopefully be better. Ask yourself this Thanksgiving, what is it that makes you thankful despite this chaotic year? Â