obligatory thoughts on thanks

today being thanksgiving, i’m feelin the pressure from the blogging world to make some sort of a post about thankfulness. it seems like most bloggers make some sort of a post about thanks during this time of year. so, giving in to peer pressure in fine form, here ya go (although i really don’t mind writing about this at all)!

thankfulness is something that is so often taken for granted, especially in our society. there is so much focus on what we don’t have, what the world tells us we absolutely need. in actuality, i really think that the things we absolutely need are just the small things. humans aren’t naturally overly needy beings; give us some food and water and love and we will mostly survive (barring medical conditions and special circumstances).

so today i’m grateful for the little things. i know that there are so, so many people in the world that aren’t able to have even some of these little things, so i’m grateful for the place i am in that allows for these. it’s so easy to stray from deep gratitude and zero in on the technology or large house or well-paying job we might not have, when there are people in the world who aren’t able to even have the basic necessities of life.

i’m grateful for a steady supply of food and water. i’m grateful for shelter and safety. i’m especially grateful for love. you can have all the things in the world, but without love, i truly believe that you are nowhere. today, be grateful for love. be grateful for family and for friends.

i’m thankful for the ability to love. if you are in a place in your life where you feel like you don’t have anyone that loves you, where you feel emptiness inside your heart in the place where love belongs, i encourage you to go out and find it yourself. my heart aches for you and i know that it is a hard, dark place you’re in, but i promise you five hundred times that if you reach out and look for ways to love an bless others around you, it will be reciprocated.

so today, on this day of thanksgiving, whether you are surrounded by friends or family or even just your own thoughts, think of love. have gratitude for love. furthermore, have gratitude for the ability to find love.

(okay, yeah this wasn’t really that much of a chore to write. gratitude is something close to my heart, so i’m happy to take my place among the ranks of bloggers who posted something about thanksgiving today! :) )