Today in the United States, we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday. Many people celebrate this holiday with a dinner and other activities. The celebration centers around the arrival of the pilgrims. We are thankful for the land that was given to us. Most of all we celebrate the fact that we are thankful for the things in our life. Sometimes it can be hard to find what there is to be thankful for. But in reality, there is always something to be thankful for.

I myself have so many things to be thankful for. I am grateful for the people who have looked out for me. They took care of me even when I wasn’t worthy. They continue to see the potential that I can bring. When I wasn’t my best, they helped me get back on my feet time and time again. They have kept me out of the criminal justice and residential systems many times. Finally, I understood how important caring for my mental health really was as part of living independently.

It can be hard to be thankful for things when our mind isn’t in the best mind. We often focus on everything wrong with our situation. We also dwell on the things we can’t have or control in our world. It sometimes can feel overwhelming. We even feel like giving up because we believe no one cares about us. But remember, life itself is always worth living. We should never, ever give up. This belief should be paramount.

I was often just thankful for waking up. Additionally, I felt grateful for being in the apartment that I had attained for myself. This was especially true when there were many odds against me. I learned to be thankful for the many opportunities in my life. I understood when, where, who, what, and why they came to be. But in all honesty, I realized something important. I saw that a higher power was watching over me through my struggles. He never gave up on me, even when I wasn’t my best self. This year, I finally chose to put the demons that I was fighting to rest. For that, I am most thankful. My life is finally in a better direction than it has ever been.

Over time, it has become easier to be thankful for different things as they come into my life. I know that living the first half of my life was not always easy. Still, it has become easier and gotten better. There have been times in recent years when I was not my best. Now that I know what caused them, I have worked at correcting these issues. I also understand the fear I caused in many people. I am striving to never return to that way again.

I am grateful that I am in a better place this year. It is a significant improvement compared to the many past years. During those years, I was not in a good place at all. I continue to think about the many things that I am thankful for. I realize that there is always something to be thankful for.