Being Thankful

Last week, Mr. Whipple left off on an interesting note. He told the class honestly that he, like the most of us, forgets to reflect on holidays we have off from school, like Veteran’s Day. Before Thanksgiving Break, he ended his class by saying that he was thankful for us, his students.

‘Tis a kind thought indeed. Thanksgiving is an important day to reflect all that we have and give thanks for the abundance we have in life. For me, Thanksgiving is also an important occasion to reflect how you yourself have impacted others. If, even for a second, you think that you haven’t influenced anything in this world, you are sadly mistaken, my friend, because your existence on this earth makes a difference. Think of your impact on your family, your friends, your community, and the Earth, and be thankful for it! Sometimes- a lot of the time- we tend to drown in life’s problems. We tend to thank God for all the wonderful things in our life, but we don’t appreciate and thank God for making us who we are today. Even if you’re not happy with who you are today, realizing your roles in life and the positive impact you’ve made on people and the Earth is a great way and being thankful that you could mark such a presence in people’s lives is a great way to bring positivity in your life.

In addition to being thankful for who I am, I am thankful for my intellect, my education, and ability to take action with it. I am thankful that I have the opportunity to learn about different literature and different issues freely and be able to take action in my community, therefore, make an impact on others. In class, we are reading Reading Lolita in Tehran , a story about Iranian women who secretly gather to discuss different banned literature. In some places, women don’t have the freedom and opportunities. The professor in the book has to organize these meetings in the house because the university forbids talking about such books. Realizing things we take for granted shines positivity in our lives and is a great way to remind ourselves all the things we have to be happy for.