Life's too short to not give thanks.

Thanksgiving has to be one of my favorite holidays. I love going to see my family and eating as much as my stomach can possibly bear. My family is a bit extended so we go to three Thanksgiving feasts. Some may say that it's hectic but I love it. I couldn't ask for a better way to spend my day with all the people I love. I'm so thankful for my family. At times they may be the most obnoxious people to be around, they give me a hard time, they tease me, but most of all I know they love me. It's sad how it takes this holiday to make most people appreciate what they have when we should really be doing this on a daily basis. I know I fall short of this too. Thanksgiving makes me look around and appreciate that I have a mom and dad that love me and take care of me and a little sister to bond with. Besides all my family, I'm thankful for my friends. They are always there for me when I need them. We have fun, we take care of each other, but most of all we're always there for each other no matter what. There's also all the material things I guess I'm thankful for like food, shelter, and other amenities. There are so many people around the world who don't have the opportunities we have or the comforts we experience daily. Yet most of those people who have less are more grateful for what they have. I feel like we can learn from them. It's not all about having the best of everything but appreciating what you have. I realized the past couple of days that life is too short to not be thankful for what you have because someday all of those things may not be there. It was our first Thanksgiving without my great-Grandma Rena. She was the matriarch figure in our family and she was always the most grateful woman I have ever met. My uncle gave a little toast to our family in remembrance of her, but what stuck with me the most was what he said at the end. He reminded us that grandma would not want us to dwell over what we have lost but to be happy with what we have. We have to live with a smile on our face and be grateful with everything we have and to appreciate how lucky we are to have a family as loving as we do. It made me think. Life is a gift, family is a gift, and everything else is a gift. Be happy with what you have and realize you are lucky :)