Thanksgiving

My cousins and I at a previous family gathering 

Thanksgiving. We often forget that giving thanks is what this holiday is all about. We focus on getting the greatest deal on Black Friday and the free food.  I admit that on Thursday around noon, giving thanks was possibly the last thing on my mind. My family was bustling around the house cooking artichoke dip and failing miserably at leaving for our family get-together several times. I was blaring music in my room and irritably getting ready for the day ahead. By the time we finally got in the car, my brother and I were already bickering about who knows what. And by the time we were on the highway, we were on the verge of killing each other. It wasn't even 1 in the afternoon yet, and I already was at my tipping point.

I felt my phone buzzing and as I unlocked it, I assumed it would be another lame response the mass "Happy Thanksgiving" text I had sent out to my closest friends. Although it was a response, it was not a typical one. It was from one of my best friends and instead of simply saying "You too!", he said "What are you thankful for?". A smile spread across my face. I looked at my brother and said, "Fine, you win." The look on his face was enough to make my smile even bigger. I responded to the text with a concise list of the things I was most thankful for this year: my friends, family, health. His response to this text surprised me even more than the first, all he said was food. I was in pure awe, but his thoughtful yet carefree response got me thinking and truly appreciating this holiday.

The rest of the day flew by, unlike the unbearably slow morning. I planned out an apple pie date with my grandmother, played trains with my little cousins, ate a fantastic meal surrounded by family while cracking some surprisingly funny jokes, and discovered a mutual love/obsession with debate with my uncle.  The best part was that because of that eye-opening piece of my conversation with my friend, I was appreciating every moment. Although I indulged a bit on the Black Friday sales, I had more fun simply shopping with friends than actually landing a good deal.

One more thing stuck with me from this Thanksgiving. Appreciation doesn't have to be an anual thing. It doesn't have to be a daily thing either, but sometimes stopping to notice the little things in your life can humble a person out a bit. I shall end this post with a quote that sums up my emotions at the moment. I hope all had a wonderful thanksgiving!

"Enjoy the little things, for one day you make look back and realize they were big things."-             Robert Brault