It seems very difficult for me to get past the Thanksgiving holiday without writing something about it on this site, doesn’t it? And the funny part about this is that I didn’t really understand what was the meaning behind “thanks-giving” until just this year.
If you’re not caught up with me and what I mean by that, I suggest you read this post from yesterday, because you are behind. But ultimately, I’ve been saying I’ve been thankful when was I was really expressing gratitude. A small difference, but a meaningful one. Because gratitude is a beautiful and important practice. But it is not thankfulness. When you are thankful, you are recognizing that you are not alone in this life journey. That people have given you gifts that have helped you get to where you are today. And whether or not you want to look at it that way, it’s true.
Having only recently learned the true definition of thankfulness, I was a little bit mind blown. All of a sudden, the wheels started turning in my brain and I realized all the times when people had helped me along in my life journey. (Some on purpose, some inadvertently.) It became clear to me–as alone as I’ve felt for so long over my lifetime, I’ve been given gifts, over and over, that have gotten me through. And often, I didn’t appreciate them when they were given to me.
My sense of embarrassment
It fills me with sadness and some embarrassment to say that up until now, I’ve been pretty un-thankful. I’ve often taken people for granted or worse, didn’t even see the gifts they were giving me in the first place. It never occurred to me to say thank you for most things, as they seemed mundane. And I regret that, because nobody owes you anything in life. When someone offers you a kindness or aid of any sort, that’s them extending themselves to help you. That’s something special- they don’t have to do that.
And I realize that I can’t change the past. I’ve been ungrateful and unthankful, and to be honest, kind of an energy vampire without knowing it. It wasn’t that I didn’t care about others or anything, I just didn’t realize what I was doing. And I know I have a long way to go in learning about being thankful for what I’ve been given. But I’m going to start today by reflecting on all of the wonderful gifts that I may have failed to see before. There’s no way for me to address everything, but right now, I want to give a space of appreciation for some of the things that in my life I’ve been too quiet about in the past.
People have nourished me
There are so many people in this world who are caring, and who have cared for me. People who were willing to listen and let me vent to them when I was in distress and needed it. Some of these people even went out of their way to cancel plans, postpone chores, and find a way to physically sit down with me when I was in need. These people have been friends, teachers, mentors, classmates, co-workers, and sometimes near strangers.
I want you all to know that these conversations stuck with me, even years later. Your kindness and openness had made a difference in my life. Sometimes you helped me make a tough decision, others you just helped me hang on until tomorrow. You hold a special place in my heart, and I want to thank you so much. For listening, for being there, for being honest with me. For being you. You’ve given me strength and direction, and a belief that there really are good people in the world when I may not have found that otherwise. I’ve learned to care about others in large part because of you.
Many of these people and more have often been encouragers! It’s hard to let your guard down and be vulnerable about your hopes and dreams for yourself, knowing that you may not get there and the person you’re talking to may tell you you’re being silly. But in my life I’ve known so many people who have insisted that my dreams are not silly. They’ve told me to believe in myself, and they’ve believed in me.
I’ve learned that one important person believing in you can outweigh a hundred people who don’t. And I’m still learning my own personal sense of self-image and value as an individual. I’m not all the way there yet. But it’s due to you all that I’ve gotten here. I live a good life because I’ve been told that it was possible and that I could achieve it, and I owe that to my many cheerleaders. Thank you for teaching me that I am worth believing in. And thank you for showing me how to extend that confidence to others who need it. My world and the world are brighter because of you.
People both gave me life and gave me their lives
I want to thank my parents for giving me life. Even as I type that, it sounds cheesy, but it’s true! They didn’t have to do that, and now that I’m alive and grown up, I’m able to make of my life whatever I want/can, and that’s something I don’t often stop to respect and appreciate. And along those lines, I also want to thank my whole family for being around during my young life. Your simple presence (or absence, depending on what moment we’re talking about) and existence taught me so much about life, about the world, about people. Even when you weren’t trying to, you were teaching me so much.
And that goes for everyone that I’ve spent time with, actually! Your time is a nonrenewable resource. If you’ve spent even a moment on me, or anything that I’ve had to say, that’s a piece of your life that you’ve given to me, and a big thank you from me for it. I appreciate you letting me in as a part of your story, and I promise I will do my best to make that a good investment.
People inspire and teach me
Thank you to anyone and everyone who’s living a life that follows their passions, even if it’s not how you make money (now or ever). When passionate people create, this world is given a gift of something done with intensity and purpose. Passionate people are what make this world better. And not only that, but your stories of how you manage to fit your dreams into your life inspire me (and many people, really) to try to live lives that we can be proud of and that will benefit the world in some way. Your contribution to this world is twofold– your creation and the inspiration you provide.
Another cheesy thing I’m thankful for is the people and situations that hurt me. You give me a reason to reflect and ask what I’m making of myself and my life, and you’ve provided me with many lessons. In this way, you too, have invested part of your life in me. And as I said before, I will do my best to make it a good investment. (Though it may not be an investment that you’d approve of 100% of the time.)
My life is thanks to others
I’m thankful for all of the things that I own and use. Some have been gifts, and in that way I’m thankful for them being given to me. But further down the line, somebody (often many people) spent time and money making the object and getting it to me. Your work is important, and I am so appreciative of your contributions in my life. Because I don’t know where I would be if I had no possessions or shelter or way of getting around.
There are so many people whose contributions and jobs my life and lifestyle is dependent on! Farmers, construction workers, cashiers, CEOs, warehouse employees, maintenance people, tradespeople, entrepreneurs! Many people who I’ve met, and many more I haven’t. What you do with your life, it means something. Even if you don’t feel fulfilled and know that you don’t want to do this forever (or even another two weeks), I’m so thankful for you.
Thank you to everyone who has been trying to be responsible and protect others in society. I’m talking about people who try to slow the spread of contagious illnesses by staying home and social distancing and the like. I’m talking about social workers and nurses and people who actively try to take care of others. Some of your measures directly help me, some help people I know and love, and some just help people in general, but thank you all the same. It’s the continual contributions of many people that help this world run along each day, to the extent that it does.
Thank you!
Thank you to everyone who is trying to be better. We build our skills so that we can build our world. And each day is another lesson on how to do less harm. You are an inspiration as well as a motivation for me every single day, and you make this world better just by being alive and staying true to yourself. I’m so honored to share this planet with you.
And I’m thankful for all of you readers. You let me into your life, my ideas, my words. That means a lot to me, that you let me bend your ears and offer up my perspectives for your own lives. Let me know what you’re thankful for this year in the comments below! I’d love to hear it!
