Thanksgiving is a time when everyone takes a pause from life and reflects on what they are thankful for. I have so many reasons to be thankful and I thought I would write them down rather than having the thoughts sit in my head. So here are a few things I’m thankful for:

First and foremost, I’m thankful for my family. I love getting together with all the aunts, uncles, and cousins; especially around the holidays. We eat, play games, and just catching up on life. While we’ve lost members of our family and the holidays make us wish we had more time with them, I’m thankful for every single moment I have with my family.

I’m thankful for the friends. Specifically, the ones I’ve made over the past few years. Back in 2020, I lost almost all of my friends I had at the time and there were several moments since then when I thought I could never trust anyone again. Sometimes that thought still creeps into my mind, but luckily it’s very few and far between. Nowadays, I’m so thankful to be surrounded by wonderful friends. I’m thankful for spontaneous hangouts, planned adventures, and all the moments in between. I don’t know where I would be without each and every one of them.

I’m thankful for my job. I have the best coworkers in the world and absolutely love all of the individuals. Even though it’s not easy and some days are really rough, we manage and everyone chooses to come back the next day. Like every workplace, issues arise among the staff, but for the most part we work together. No matter what happens, as of right now, there’s no place I’d rather be.

I’m thankful for music. I love being able to play music and having the ability to learn how to play any instrument desired. I’m thankful for music that expresses how I feel when I cannot find the words myself and the way songs can connect people. I’m thankful for the epic drum fills in emo bands (shoutout to Travis Barker and Rook) and the simplicity of acoustic rhythms in country music. I’m thankful for instrumental covers that do the original songs great justice. Music has always had a special place in my heart and I’m thankful that I can hear it everyday and feel.

I’m thankful for nature. Beautiful sunrises and golden hour sunsets. Mountains that look so strong and majestic. The first spring flowers, long summer nights, watching the leaves turn colors in the heart of autumn, and the delicate fall of snow on December 25th. Morning fog on the ground. The sound of waves crashing into the shore. Clear nights when all the stars are shining so brightly. Rainbows after a spring rain. Walking in the forest and hearing the sound of wildlife. And finally, the wind. The smell of fresh air and feeling a breeze on your skin. One of my favorite quotes is from A Walk to Remember, “Love is like the wind, you can’t see it but you can feel it.” I think that’s one of the reasons I love the wind. Even in those moments when I can’t feel anything at all, I can feel the wind. It’s real and I’m still breathing.

I’m thankful for Fridays. Going out with friends for a drink. Eating popcorn and watching a good movie. TV shows that you can’t wait to talk to your friends about. The smell of a candle burning. Having a reliable car with seat warmers. A blank piece of paper for drawing. A pair of black converse. The first entry in a brand new journal. A perfectly seasoned, medium rare steak. Classic novels (Ernest Hemingway, I know you’re dead, but you have my heart). That glass of wine after a long week. The smell of coffee shops and book stores. Fruit smoothies and chocolate peanut butter ice cream. Dogs. Cozy flannels and ripped jeans. A cup of mint tea in the morning. Live music. Bread with honey butter from Texas Roadhouse. Pictures that bring back memories. Campfires. Star-gazing with a friend and talking about life. I’m thankful for the little things.

I’m thankful for the real kisses. The ones that people only get to experience once or twice in their lives. The kind of kiss between two people that love each other unconditionally and when life makes no sense. The ones that give you butterflies in your stomach, but also safety because you know it feels right. The type of kiss that is more intimate than sex. That moment when the world stops turning and it’s just you and them. Nothing else matters. The real kisses.

Finally, I’m thankful for each day. I know that sounds cliché, but everyday brings little moments that make life beautiful. Though it can bring hardship, it can also growth opportunities. Each day is having the ability to do something spontaneous, invest in yourself, tell that person how you feel, make mistakes, learn from them, and show kindness in a world that’s full of hate. For the time you are here on this Earth, each day is a second chance. So seize the day!

Thank you for reading this one.