What I’m Thankful for This Year

I remember in elementary school, every Thanksgiving season we were asked to write down what we are thankful for. Everyone would write down broad, generalized things like ‘family’ or ‘food’ then, of course there were the kids who wrote things like ‘I’m thankful for my PlayStation’ or ‘I’m thankful for my iPod Touch’. I remember writing down things that I was thankful for and not having a reason for picking them other than I felt like I should be thankful for them. Years later, I’ve realized that I have so many things to be thankful for.        

            The first thing I’m thankful for is one that I feel many take for granted- getting an education and going to college. I’m thankful that I get to study what I’m passionate about in the city I’ve dreamt about living in ever since I was a kid. I absolutely love what I’m studying and I love going to class. This is something I never felt in high school. I never imagined myself being this happy and I am so grateful that I feel this way about my education. When I first decided to attend school for theater, part of me feared I wasn’t making the right choice and that I wouldn’t enjoy it. I’m so happy that my experience as a theater major so far has been great and filled with great classes and faculty. 

            I’m also thankful to have a mom who always gives me her constant support. I consider myself lucky to have a parent who shares my appreciation for the theatre arts and wholeheartedly supports my dream to pursue a career in theater. I know everyone isn’t so lucky to have parents who accept their child’s desire to pursue a career in the arts, I feel incredibly thankful to have a mom who supported my decision to go to school for playwriting instead of something more ‘practical’.  Knowing that regardless of what path I take in life, my mom will be there to support me or to be a shoulder to cry on means the world to be. I’m so thankful to have a parent like her.

            I’m thankful that I have a job. I knew that choosing to go to a private institution would result in some compromises due to the financial burden of tuition. I spent the first month and a half of the semester applying for job after job until I finally got a yes. While working in retail was absolutely terrifying at first, I realized how good it feels to be able to pay for the things I need. And, the constant engagement with customers has been slowly helping come over my anxiety of approaching people and has made me more comfortable in social settings. I wasn’t expecting working to help with so much more than financial things, but it’s helping me overcome fears I never would’ve faced otherwise. 

            The Thanksgiving season is a good time to reflect on how much we have in our lives that we don’t always appreciate. It’s a time to step back and think about all of the good things we have no matter how small they may seem. There is so much that I have to be thankful for and I don’t think I could possibly put it all into words. And, as cheesy as it sounds, I’m very thankful for that! 

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