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Why Thanksgiving is Becoming One of My Favorite Holidays

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at JMU chapter.

As a kid Thanksgiving wasn’t my favorite holiday. We would just see my cousins who live five minutes away. Yes, we  would eat a good meal, but I wouldn’t get much chance to talk because we never had a kids table and I couldn’t keep up with the adult conversations. Than I would be tired and want to go to bed, but we would be stuck at my grandparents’ house until my parents were done talking. Don’t get me wrong, I liked it. Thanksgiving was simply never one of my favorite holidays. But wow have times changed. 

 

 

In this past year I have learned so much about the power of gratitude and remembering your blessings as opposed to what you don’t have. Not to get into all the crazy universe stuff, but the Law of Attraction says that “like attracts like,” so focusing on the good brings more good into your life. 

 

 

And now I realize that this whole idea of gratitude is a HOLIDAY?!?! There is a whole day to focus on what we are grateful for and I love that. I always loved visiting my family and watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and eating yummy food, but this past year of focusing on gratitude has made me even more thankful for thanksgiving. 

 

 

I am more thankful than ever for my Grandmother and her health and that fact that she can travel with us still. I am more thankful than ever to spend time with my family, especially after being away from them at school since August. I am more thankful than ever for the yummy home cooked food that isn’t made on campus. I am Thankful to sit and do nothing for a week instead of running between classes, the gym, the library, and the sorority house. And I am thankful that I get a chance to go back to school and focus on my education after a break for a few more weeks before I’m home again for the holidays. I am thankful for Thanksgiving. 

 

 

 

So this thanksgiving, instead of dreading family time, or looking at is as a stepping stone to Christmas (which I did for years) look at it as a day to be truly grateful for what you have, and see how your day changes. 

 

Grace is a Senior Media Art and Design major at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia. She has lived in Virginia her whole life, but plans on moving to New York City after graduation. Gracie loves to travel and plans on being a travel writer post-grad. Her favorite places to visit were either Munich, Germany, or Cusco, Peru. Besides Her Campus, Gracie is in Gamma Phi Beta, works as the Creative Coordinator for Bluestone Communications JMU, and writes for the culture section of The Breeze, JMU's newspaper.
School of Media Arts and Design student with a concentration in Interactive Design. Campus Correspondent for the JMU chapter of Her Campus, Campus Coordinator for Rent the Runway on Campus, and Social Media Marketing Intern for Auntie Anne's.