So as Thanksgiving draws near, we will all at one point or another, in one form or another, start to contemplate what we all are thankful for. All of us are thankful for many different things, for many different reasons. We all will pick and choose how we decide to express our thanks, and with social media being an integral part of our lives today, I'm willing to bet a lot of the expression of thanks will occur through Facebook status updates or tweets here and there.
This year, I want to specifically mention a few things that I'm thankful for. The thing is, there is really a lot to be thankful for. Just because we don't explicitly express our thanks for something specific, doesn't mean that we aren't thankful for it. And to say that you're most thankful for some thing over another... Well, I think you get the idea.
Anyhow, the first thing I'll mention that I'm thankful may seem pretty obvious: My family. Without them, I obviously wouldn't be here today. My mom and my dad have provided a lot to me throughout the years. Our relationship hasn't been perfect, and anyone who has been a teen will agree with me here. In the end, you're here today because of them, and you've learned from them. I have learned, and I'm still learning. For better or for worse, I am who I am because of them.
The next thing I'll list is that I'm thankful to all the veterans out there. It is a little strange to say "Thanks to the Veterans" when I am a veteran myself, but let me clarify here. I believe that if it weren't for the veterans who have served in the past, I would never have had the opportunity to serve and become a veteran myself. If it isn't for the veterans of today and the future, who knows how our lifestyle would change where we live. The men and women in the military, and their families, sacrifice a lot. Its never easy to be away from the family through the holiday season, especially if we can't as easily pick up our cell phone and say hello, or to get on the computer to see each other via web cam.
The last thing that I'll mention for which I am thankful for are my close friends. These are the people whom I can always call any time, knowing they'll be there for me as best as they can, whether it is to vent, to reassure me, or to give be a nice kick in the behind here and there. I keep this list short and I can them all on one hand. These friends aren't necessarily the ones I've known the longest, but these friends are ones I can trust and turn to with almost anything. These are the friends whom I know won't turn on me for any reason in the world. No matter what they have going on in their lives, they haven't forgotten me. I haven't forgotten them, either.
As I said, this list isn't complete. It is only three of the many things that I am thankful for throughout my near three decades in existence. Happy Thanksgiving to you all!
