~ thankful ~

There are many things I'm thankful for....chocolate, fleece-lined leggings, teachers who post their powerpoints online, etc., etc.  But this year, I'm thankful for some of the most basic things a human being can be thankful for, but that many people must go without on a daily basis.

• Food.  In a world where an apple can cost as much as a burger from McDonald's, I feel very lucky to have access to and be able to afford good, healthy, (often organic) food.  I feel very lucky to have the luxury of being able to customize my diet.  No meat, no dairy, lots of fruits and vegetables, very little sugar, whole wheat instead of white.  I fully understand how privileged I am and try to remind myself of this on a daily basis.

• My health.  Even though this time of year I have the immune system of a Jane Austen side character (I'm looking at you, Jane Bennet), for the most part, I'm a relatively healthy person.  I don't have any chronic illnesses, I haven't been bedridden for longer than a few days (except for when I had mono, but mono is the exception to everything), I'm not allergic to grass, or water, or wheat.  Sure, sometimes I'll go to the doctor with a complaint and she'll say "Yeah...never heard of anything like that in my entire career," or a WebMD search yields no results, but I'm lucky.  And I'm thankful.

• Education.  As much as I complain about the technical glitches, costs, and sexist idiots I run across on campus, I feel so fortunate to be on a campus.  With the ridiculous rises in tuition, among many, many other things, an unbelievable number of people simply cannot afford to receive an education.  That I am one of the lucky few is something that I am very thankful for.

• A home.  My house is something to behold.  Down a road lined with watermelon fields and cow pastures, canopied by enormous oak trees dripping with Spanish moss, and older than most of the lucky people living underneath their beautiful shade.  Then, turning onto our dirt road, it's like going back in time and all the while entering a new world.  White and wooden, like a farm house, big windows and lots of light, wooden floors and welcoming doorways.  I love my house and cherish the days and nights I've spent here.

• A family.  Though we may be spread out, stubborn, and often spend our time arguing about things that will mean nothing in a year - "Stop looking out MY WINDOW" (circa 2000) - we love each other.

We could all use a day to celebrate each other and give thanks for what we have.  So happy Thanksgiving, one and all.  

xoxo,

Eliza