There must to be a moment in time where we step back from our hectic lives of constant activity to be truly thankful for what we have in life. We as people often look over things that should be taken into consideration and not for granted. Things as simple as having a house to live in, having running water, and money to put food on the table are all things we take for granted at times. Even family can be taken granted for, since we as individuals can grow accustomed to their constant acts of kindness towards us. Thanksgiving is not only a time to be thankful, but a reminder that we must count our blessings everyday to prevent the fretting when things don’t happen in our lives the way we want it to go. Being grateful for something doesn’t mean that it has to be something big, but it can be something small as well. If anything, let all of us be grateful just to be alive and in good health. Let all of us be grateful to have the gift of life in where we can choose how we want to live out our lives while making memories of our own. Personally, I am just thankful to be alive. What greater wonder is there to have the freedom and opportunity to make a difference in this world?
Jayden Smith sent out a Thanksgiving survey to the Mason City High school student body and staff, asking questions such as their favorite Thanksgiving food, what their favorite memory is, and what they are thankful for. When the survey-takers were asked about their favorite foods, the overall top choices were turkey, stuffing, and ham. When asked about their favorite memories, students and staff had most of their responses about family, which included very hilarious moments. One memory from a staff member who responded to the survey said, “I sprayed Grandma’s pepper spray in the house. I didn’t know what the thing was. Everyone had to get out of the house with their eyes watering and coughing. Someone threw up. Good times.” Another response said their favorite memory was, “When my brother’s dog fur caught on fire because he got too near the turkey deep fryer outside. HE WAS NOT HURT. But it was funny.” Other responses consisted of the burning of pies, and dropping a turkey.
Jayden Smith had his own family memory, in which he stated, “When my mom was growing up, she had this great dane named Duke. Here, the dog had a pen outside where he lived, and on Thanksgiving Day he got out of the pen. When my grandpa went outside to look for the dog, he couldn’t find him in the pen, but instead saw Duke running down the hill toward the house with a big brown object in his mouth. My grandpa thought it was a football from one of the neighbor kids, but as Duke got closer it was an entire turkey. It turns out that the dog had stolen a turkey from one of the neighbors who was grilling it.”
The next question asked students and staff of what they were thankful for. The most frequent response answer was family. Others had also talked about their thankfulness for their opportunities in life, living in the U.S, and simply being alive.
With all of this in mind, let us take time out of our busy lives to reassure our loved ones around us on how much they mean to us. We shall also take time for ourselves to truly count the blessings around us, and enjoy the true blessing of life’s most treasured moments.