Giving Thanks For the Not So Little Things

It is that time of year again when one such as myself likes to take stock in all that I have to be thankful for. I know I may have blogged about this in the past, but I think it is extremely important to examine one’s life and realize just how much we have to be thankful for. I know that I am not alone in this because many people, Americans specifically, spend far too much time lamenting about all of the things we wish we had. This is not productive or healthy, but merely human nature, I suspect. Anyway, now that I have acknowledged that I am guilty of this, here are some of the things I am thankful for….

I am thankful for my family and friends. I know this is a no-brainer, but I don’t tell them enough, so I will tell you all that I have a great family and I am extremely lucky. I also have an incredible support network in my friends, whom I love dearly. Now these might be obvious things to be thankful for but they are important. Before I can proceed, they needed to be acknowledged first.

The other things I am thankful for might be a little more obscure. For instance, I am very thankful that I am frugal. If you're frugal, it means you don't like to spend a lot of money. I like to think of being frugal as spending money wisely but others might think of it as being cheap. I have always been careful with my money ever since I was a teenager.

I am also very thankful for my education. I teach and I realize how valuable an education is and how lucky we are that education is so readily available in the United States. Now, I am not saying that we don’t have a lot of problems in our education system in this country. We do. But when I read about places in the world where kids are gathering on cold dirt floors doing math problems without a teacher (read Three Cups of Tea), then I realize how lucky we are to have access to education. I believe that one should always make the most of their opportunities. I am acknowledging how thankful I am for education as it is really the key to everything in life

Of all of the many things I have to be thankful for, these two seemed especially relevant this holiday season as I pay off my student loans. In doing so, I am constantly reminded what a wise investment I have made in myself and for that I am truly thankful.