Youth News: What I’m Thankful For…

CHRIS DALE, GB Youth Board

Published: November 18, 2004

ATLANTA—Thanksgiving is just around the corner. Everyone is relaxing after Halloween and is preparing for the hectic time leading up to Christmas. During this short break in the action, we need to slow down and spend some time just thinking and getting our lives back in order.

It’s unfortunate, but Thanksgiving is starting to get overlooked as the Christmas season begins earlier and earlier each year. However, at Thanksgiving, it is important to take some time to ask ourselves some questions.

What are we thankful for? Nowadays, many things are taken for granted, especially in America. But God likes to be appreciated, and we can show our love for Him just by simply saying “thank you” for the many blessings, big and small, in our lives.

Are we thankful for our families? I know I often forget about some of the sacrifices my parents and siblings make for me. Are we thankful for our friends? Do we overlook their simple acts of charity and love, or do we really appreciate their faithfulness and love for us? Are we thankful for our schools? Do we appreciate our parents for caring about our education? Are we thankful for our teachers, who spend hours upon hours preparing classes and grading papers? Do we respect them, or do we make life difficult for them by being rude in class? Are we thankful for our health? For those of us who play sports, we can imagine how incredibly disappointing it would be not to be able to participate because of an accident or a sickness. Are we thankful for ourselves? Many teens today are not content with how they look or how they act, so they try to put on an act. God made us just how He wanted, so we should thank Him for creating us in His image and likeness.

Finally, are we thankful for God, who gave us all these things?

We are so lucky to be Catholic, to know the true God and true faith, and have the promise of eternal life. There are so many people in this world who are less fortunate than we are. Discovering what you are thankful for may even help you to have a better Christmas. If you truly appreciate what everyone has done for you, Christmas would be the perfect time to show your gratitude.

So, this Thanksgiving, before you fall asleep from eating too much turkey, ask yourself these questions and think about anything else you are thankful for. It will make Thanksgiving that much more fruitful and enjoyable.

Chris Dale is a junior at Holy Spirit Preparatory School and a parishioner of St. Jude the Apostle Church, both in Atlanta.