What does it mean to be thankful? It would take me ages to try and explain the importance of being thankful and how it impacts others. Webster’s dictionary defines the word “thankful” as “expressing gratitude and/or relief”. There are endless ways to express gratitude towards the people in your life. Here are some ways to do so:

If someone makes you dinner (such as a parent), you can show them that you are appreciative by washing the dishes or loading/unloading the dishwasher to led a hand and pitch in.

If your friend helped you study hours worth of material for a test, you can show them your gratitude by returning the favor by helping them with something they are struggling with.

If your teacher has stayed after with you several times to help you understand a specific unit or lesson, a way you can show your gratitude is by writing them a handwritten letter and make an effort to let them know how thankful you are for them! 

Being thankful isn’t just telling someone “thanks” and moving on. It is about going through lengths to let them know while being genuine and intentional! Showing thankfulness isn’t about pretending to be thankful to make your ego look good, which I feel like a lot of teenagers struggle with because it’s easy to build up an “I want people to see me do good deeds” mindset for popularity reasons. That’s the wrong way to be thankful, folks! 

If you aren’t deliberate with an intended gratitude-filled purpose, you’re not showing thankfulness. Some may think that just a simple “thanks for the help” is ok but it isn’t if you want to be respected! There may even be someone reading this article who is thinking “oh well, my life sucks anyways and there is nothing to be grateful for”. I want to tell you that there is so much to be thankful for, and I am urging you to dig deep a little more and be willing to open your heart to things that you rely on daily and what wouldn’t be the same if they were not in your life. 

For example, I am thankful for my hardworking mom and grandma and all that they do for me, being able to get an education, having a roof over my head, and food to eat.  If you have access to an education, food, water, and a roof over your head, congratulations! You are more fortunate than half of the entire WORLD. Let that sink in. Sometimes we don’t realize how lucky we are until it is too late.

Don’t wait too late! Be intentional, have gratitude, and open your eyes to see just how fortunate and lucky you are!