I am grateful for car ride playlists, old friendships, and the family I come home to every day (not in this order). I am also grateful for when I understand my math homework, have time to watch the sun set, and laugh with my tablemates in art class. Some of these things that I appreciate are moments, others are intangible connections, but all of this appreciation reminds me that no matter where I am, there is always something to be grateful for. With this in mind, I asked MHS students, faculty, and teachers throughout the school what they were thankful for, and this is what they had to say…
- Family and good health
- Food, my family, and my friends
- Michael Cecere’s positivity
- Health
- The ability to have a good education
- I can go to this school, not be oppressed, and have the freedom to live the life I want to
- My mom, because she will do anything, she makes my lunches and my breakfast, and she makes my life a lot easier
- For the ears that listen
- For my friends who support me
- Ms. Grivakis, because she is a good math teacher
- The clothes I’m wearing right now and the Thanksgiving break that’s coming up because I can see my family and eat food
- My friends
- My family, my friends, and education
In the end, one student admitted that his gratitude was for something small, as if the size made his appreciation less meaningful. In reality, recognizing common occurrences is just as sincere as appreciating the abstract privileges that we rely on. Whether practicing gratitude encourages people to reflect on the values that mean the most to them, or just the common experiences that make them randomly happy, there is no scale dictating which is better. In the end, both types of appreciation shed light on something good in this world, or something good in oneself, and this positivity is significant. So right now, stop, wherever you are. Look around you. Find something in front of you that you are thankful for. Then close your eyes and find something within yourself that you are thankful for. Appreciate your current situation. As I see among my fellow students, everyone’s lives are different, but right now, be thankful for your own.
Not only am I grateful for music, and school work, and friends and family, but I’m also grateful for being able to say what I want with this platform, and for living in a town where people listen to what I have to say. Thank you for reading, and enjoy your Thanksgiving!