Thanksgiving is this week (yay!) and that means being reminded of the things I’m grateful for. Being grateful is something I struggle with on a daily basis; I’m so blessed to be where I am in life and I take so much of it for granted. Please ignore the cliché.

Although I am still learning to have an attitude of constant gratitude, I wanted to encourage you (and remind myself) to keep this season of gratitude going in everyday life and not just when the turkey hits the table. As part of keeping this outlook, I wanted to share some (hopefully not cliché) things I am grateful for right now in my life.

My Grandparents

I love my entire family and I can’t wait to hug them all this Thursday, but, for the past few months, I can sincerely say that my love and respect for my grandparents has grown a tremendous amount. Now don’t get me wrong, I have always loved and respected them, but this time away from them has made me realize how awesome they are. They have constantly supported me, especially this summer during a time of personal struggle. Every time I talk about them, I get teary-eyed (most of the time I cry).

I took the time I had at home for granted: I didn’t spend too many nights at their house and I never went out of my way to go spend time with them by myself. Throughout the course of my past few months as a college student, I have grown to realize the love they have for me (and for the rest of my family) and I want to reciprocate that back to them on a new level. I get jittery at the idea of seeing them again and watching my grandpa watch golf and hearing my grandma’s hysterical laugh.

My Sister, Rachel

Like any siblings would, Rachel and I fought.. a lot. For a long time, we would never really have a good moment. Once she and I were in high school, I found that we had better times and laughed more together (most likely making fun of our mom). We shared a room for as long as I can remember and that was both a blessing and a curse.

Despite the fact that she pretends to be annoyed by me (trust me, she loves me), I always know she has my back. She dislikes the people who hurt me, she keeps things funny, and come on, she’s frickin’ gorgeous! She’s exactly what a little sis should be and I have been missing her since I came. I didn’t think I would miss her this much (no offense Chay) but I can’t wait to see her and get Starbucks with her. Also, a little tidbit of our relationship: she texted me the link to this video and forced me to watch the whole thing with no explanation.

My Home

There are two parts to this one. Like any other angsty teenager, I thought I would never like where I lived. I dreamed of big cities and faraway places. My senior year, I started to explore around Sacramento and found that it’s actually a really fun place to be. It’s filled with unique people and places and has a great community. Not to mention the fact that the traffic is so much nicer compared to LA.

The second part of “home” is my physical house. Senior year, I was never home. I was always out with friends doing who knows what, coming home late with only Rachel awake watching Netflix. I took for granted the time I could have stayed home and relaxed with my family. I never took the time to slow down. I can almost promise that during my holiday breaks I am going to slow down and realize that sometimes it’s okay to say no. It’s okay to stay at home and spend that time with family because once you leave, it’s not the same.

Obviously, you can tell I’m excited to be home.

The Ability to Travel

This one is probably an unusual thing to be grateful for. My generation is definitely one that has extreme wanderlust. In the past year alone, I have travelled up and down the West Coast, I’ve been to Europe, I have been to the Caribbean, and I know California like the back of my hand.

My mom didn’t travel until we kids were older, and I realized how much I’ve experienced in my young life and that most people haven’t yet or won’t ever be able to experience those things. Traveling is one of my passions and I’m very privileged to have been where I have been and to see what I have seen at my age. My trips have also been reminders for me that whatever I need will be provided for.

I could go on forever and ever about everyone and everything in my life that I am grateful for but these things are the ones that I find have become more prevalent in my life recently. But here are some other things I am just as happy to have in my life:

I am grateful for my mom for being the best mom in the world.

I am grateful for my father’s giving spirit and his leadership in our family.

I am grateful for my friends, old and new, for making me smile even when distance separates us.

I am grateful for the opportunity to pursue higher education.

I am grateful for the people who read this blog and support me and find me even a little interesting.

Enjoy Thanksgiving this week: slow down and take the time to recognize every thing in your life, good or bad, and have an attitude of gratitude for this holiday season and beyond.

Blessings.

— Sarah