It is almost Thanksgiving Day. Although it is important to be reminded about the history of when and why it is celebrated, a better thing to do is to make a list of the things we are grateful for in the present that have either given us inspiration, or have helped make our creative dreams into realities. These may be objects you have received, opportunities opened for you, obstacles you have conquered, milestones you have reached, or things other people have done for you.
Here is a list of things you may have missed:
- Before anything else, you must be thankful that you are still alive and well. A lot of us forget that this is enough reason to say thanks. It does not even matter whatever religion you follow. Sometimes, just because times are tough or pockets are empty, we conclude that there is nothing to be thankful for. This is it.
- If you have no preference in any religious belief and don’t know whom to express gratitude towards, they are the people to address it to. Your family might not be perfect, but hey, no family is. The fact that you will always be one of them in blood is enough to be thankful for.
- Yes, it is free, which is why you should be thankful. Imagine if you didn’t have a single penny and you had to pay in exchange for breathable air. The best things the world has to offer are free. Sadly, we forget to be thankful for them.
- Many people practice saying grace before meals. Most of them say grace as a practice alone. There are many people out there who are dying of hunger. Those of us who get to eat at least one meal a day should not complain because others have nothing on their plate at all. Some people don’t even have plates.
- You’ll never miss it until it’s gone. Not just figuratively. Things will be very difficult to swallow, literally. You think water is not that important? You have better chances of surviving by relying on water alone than food.
- For the luckier few, it’s not just a roof. They have a whole house. Nothing promises safety than a roof and walls. Even those who are homeless are thankful for the roof that is not even their own, and for the walls that could easily be blown by strong winds.
- Sure, not everyone gets to sleep soundly. But every bit of sleep we get is refreshing. Every time we feel a little worn out, one where eating and drinking does not help, sleep is the only immediate remedy. Even an hour is a good enough recharge to get through another twenty-four. Others don’t get a good nights’ sleep, but still highly appreciative of short naps.
- You may have thanked your pals many times for the things they have given or done for you, but have you thanked the universe for making your paths cross? Be thankful for their very existence, because true friends these days are very hard to find.
- I have read many things about people who are broken inside finding retreat in listening to songs that they can relate to. Whether the message is about admitting one’s weakness, mourning, or embracing the truth and discovering one’s inner strength, our favorite songs always seem to help us cope.
- Some stories are real. Some are make-believe. But regardless of how much truth is in a tale, it is hard not show appreciation for a good narrative. We learn much of the lessons we now know by heart from every story told by our elders. True or otherwise, we always get a piece of wisdom from them. A great story always holds a strong value. Story-telling is the earliest form of education.
Let us also consider being thankful for more new age things. Life is easier because they were created.
- Mobile or landline, it does not really matter. The invention of these mediums of communication is indeed one of the greatest achievement of mankind. Before, no man is an island. But now, men can be islands, even very distant ones, because bridges and vessels have been created to keep them connected.
- I think everyone dreams of travelling somewhere new, somewhere far. Deep inside, we all have feelings of wanderlust. Some of us are where we are as a result of circumstances we cannot escape from, like being born in that place. We all have that one place which we would rather be. Thanks to transportation, we can get there. If that Eden of ours is nearby, our very own feet are our means of transport.
- One time, I thought to myself, “I can be my own teacher, if I only had the resources to use…” But now I do. Possibly, all the information that we might need in order to self-study is available online. As a matter of fact, if you can pay for those that charge you for a full access, there are no bounds to how much info you can get. Easy access to data, now who wouldn’t be grateful for that?
- The idiot box, a slang term for television, is christened as such because it causes our minds to go into an idle state. We get so engrossed with what we are watching that we barely do some active thinking, thus, being as idiots. Why do I think we should be thankful for it? We all need a break from being busy with everything else. Sometimes it pays to just let our brains be passive.
I’m about to wrap up and close this list with one of the things that we must be truly thankful for. I bet you would all agree that it is indeed golden.
- Isn’t it ironic how time is always around but there is no way to turn it around? There is so much of it, and at the same time so little. We often overlook its significance and all we ever do is either complain that time is moving too slow or that it is unfairly fast. What we should be doing instead is be glad for every second we have because every moment counts. For every bit of it, there is a promise of hope.
Happy Thanksgiving Day everybody!