By: Sarah/Student
As the leaves fall and the weather gets colder, we know that Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Every year we anticipate the turkey and the fixings that appear on our tables and getting together with loved ones; but what is Thanksgiving really about? Thanksgiving dates back to the earliest settlers in America. Although it wasn’t celebrated every year for a long time, people now get together every fourth Thursday of November to spend time with loved ones and people they may not have seen all year. What I am trying to say is; Thanksgiving is all about being thankful for the life you have and the family and friends you cherish every day. Being thankful doesn’t mean you have a lot; it truly means you make the best of it, even the littlest things. As we see the news and what’s happening in the world around us, we should all take the time to think. We should be thankful that we are not suffering as much as others in the world or as those who have to fight for their freedom and their life. As devastating and depressing as it is just to think of that concept, it is the sad truth. With all the bad in the world and the millions who have lost so much, we can be grateful for our freedom, our liberty and our rights. For me, I am thankful for my rights in America, keeping in mind that others are still fighting for those basic fundamentals.
Thanksgiving is not just about being thankful for the freedom you have. You should think and appreciate everything and anyone you have in your life. For me, I am blessed to have the people in my life, and still honored to have been part of the lives of those I have lost. Friends I still have and that will always be there for me will always be noticed. You can even be thankful for the pets you have in your lives! They aren’t just animals, they are your family too! I would like to share with you a true story from my life that will give you insight into the importance of Thanksgiving to me. A few days after Thanksgiving in 2015, I lost one of the most important people in my life, my grandmother. She battled many years, combating an incurable disease. I always looked up to her and aspired to be just as strong as her. Since 2015, Thanksgiving has more meaning to me, I am thankful for every day, every hour, and every minute I spent with my grandmother, who was suppose to pass away before my birth. I have lost and gained so much in my 18 years of life, but I know I have it better off than some, and that is why I am truly blessed to have the life I’ve been given.
I hope we all can learn as a community, as a nation, and as a world what the true meaning of Thanksgiving is; not just about the turkey and fixings! To shorten the meaning; Thanksgiving is really just acknowledging and being thankful for what you have in your life, the people you share it with, and to live the best life you can have. Please, truly think about what Thanksgiving means to you, so that you can understand and cherish what this holiday is all about.