COLUMN: Be thankful everyday

With every storefront and business done up in massive red and green holiday displays since Nov. 1, it's easy to forget about the unwanted stepchild of Christmas – namely, Thanksgiving.

Many students view the Thanksgiving holiday as just a long weekend, a chance to unwind and gear up in preparation for final exams a week later.

Still, others think of it as a chance to stuff their faces for free, to sleep all day and to have their moms do their laundry for them.

It's undeniable that the true meaning of Thanksgiving has gotten a bit garbled and stretched over the years.

Despite this, one thing remains true: Beyond all the stuffing and mashed potatoes, the Black Friday deals that start earlier each year and the turkey, it is above all a day to stop and be thankful for what you have.

In a conversation a few weeks ago, my friend brought up a great point. She said she thought the premise behind Thanksgiving was kind of stupid.
"Why set aside one day to be thankful, when I can do that every other day of the year?"
Her mindset kind of blew me away, and I didn't have a good response for a while. I got to thinking that people need to feel like that more often.
Maybe one day isn't quite enough, though it's a good starting point. I know it's not nearly enough for me, as I could stand to think about what I'm thankful for more often.

So, on Thanksgiving, gathered around turkey, stuffing and sweet potatoes, be thankful for friends and family, your pets, your boyfriend or girlfriend, or lack thereof.

Be thankful for graduations, weddings and babies.

Be thankful for those 8 a.m. classes and late Friday nights you might not remember.

Be thankful for life and death and everything in between.

But don't let that feeling diminish with your turkey leftovers.

Carry a piece of that inside you every day of the year. Some days will be harder than others, I can tell you that right now. But if at the end of the day you can find at least one thing to be thankful for, whether it's great pizza or an exam that got pushed back, you're going to be alright in the long run.

I can guarantee you that.

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