While I make a daily effort to not take anything for granted, Thanksgiving certainly reminds me how fortunate I truly am. I have a family that provides me with incredible love and strength - parents who are my role models and unwavering supporters, and a sister who unfailingly makes me laugh and whom I have grown closer with over the past few years. I have wonderful groups of friends both at school and at home, who share many of my values and interests. I live in a beautiful town by the ocean which I have come to love more each time I return home from school. I am receiving an excellent education and have the resources to pursue my ambitions with the belief that I will achieve them. I have nutritious and appetizing food on my plate for each meal. I am healthy with the abilities to participate in activities I enjoy. I have been given opportunities in various settings that have allowed me to grow as an individual and also influence others.
This list of people and things that deserve my gratitude is incomplete for there is no way I can conjure up every bit of essence in my life in a single day. As Thanksgiving day reaches its end and I reflect with contentment, I resolve to give thanks without regard to the time of year.
