I hope you all had a great Thanksgiving! Mine was great this year. I obviously had plenty to eat, and this year especially I felt overwhelmed by a sense of thankfulness that was unsurpassed by any previous Thanksgiving. A big part of that can be credited to the year and a half I have spent in college so far.
I don’t know about you, but towards the end of my high school career I couldn’t wait to get out of the house and go live on campus somewhere. My parents proposed the idea of maybe going to junior college first and living at home for a couple years, but I had my mind set on getting out. So, in my first year at USC I did get out, and lived on campus. That experience in itself has made me even more grateful for my family and the amazing people I have at home. I had never been away for an extended period of time, and doing so made me realize that I had been taking my own family for granted. So this Thanksgiving being with them brought me such great joy, and I look forward to doing the same for many, many years to come.
I urge you all to really think about what you have, and how important those close relationships are. They can easily be taken for granted, and if you do so, you will almost certainly regret it one day. Take some time out of your day to tell your mom how much you love her, or your dad how much he means to you. Reach out to that brother or sister that can drive you crazy at times and give them a feeling of love you may have never showed to them before. Try and live your life like this not only on Thanksgiving, but every day. I challenge you. I plan to take on that challenge myself as well because in the end, no amount of money or possessions will bring you happiness. What really does matter is the relationships you have with those closest to you.