From the desk

Thankfulness is something we are all familiar with during the month of November.

Around Thanksgiving, people start realizing everything they have — their loving family, supportive friends, and even the breath in their lungs are reasons to rejoice.

Cassidy

But thankfulness should be something that we celebrate every day, not just one measly month out of 12. Every day we can breathe one more breath of air, have one more moment with our loved ones or have one more moment to spread that love to others is reason enough to shout for joy.

I was given an excellent opportunity last year to realize just how blessed I am and how challenging life is for some people.

Walking is something that comes naturally for most, but it is often taken for granted. After getting knee surgery last Christmas, I was forced to use crutches for three months, which meant struggling past seemingly healthy students to get on the elevators or plan an extra hour into my day so I could make it to the bus stop to get to school on time.

This experience made me pause and really think about what it meant to be able to do the little things in life and realize what other things I had been taking for granted, just like walking.

Over the course of a year, the Annual Homeless Assessment Report to Congress found that 1,593,150 Americans were homeless at some point in 2010. That is over 1.5 million people who did not have the privilege to fall asleep in their own bed or feel protected inside secure walls where they belonged.

These people would have been thankful for a run-down shed if it meant they would be protected from harsh climates. And yet, we complain about not having enough closet space for our clothes.

Realizing everything that we are blessed with and all of the life-threatening ailments we do not have to experience is a sobering moment in life, but it should not just be one moment.

We reduce our thankfulness down to one month — one month of reflecting on what we already have — and for just one second, not wanting more. We pretend like the very miracle of our life is not something to be ecstatic about.

Instead of showing our gratitude one month out of 12, we should thank the Lord for what we have every day of the year, not just when the season calls for it.

Being thankful for everything we have should come naturally, just like walking.

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