1) Family
I would be nowhere without my family. There’s my mom, who forwards me about 12 emails a day about the happenings of Brad Pitt. My dad, whose favorite game to play with me is “Spot the Mester Brother in the Composite in His Old Frat House” at one in the morning on a Friday. My youngest brother, who can best be characterized by the list of things he is thankful for: electricity, fantasy football, the Constitution, “Mean Girls” and Eli Manning’s arm. And last, my middle brother, with whom I struggle for the custody of our car like it’s our child.
2) Health
As someone who has been afraid of school nurses since elementary school, any semester that goes by without a trip to Student Health is a good one. Though I am convinced I have mono or strep throat at all times, living largely sickness-free is one of the things I feel most lucky about. Major kudos to those who have stayed strong through a personal or family illness.
3) Friends
Who else can you count on to stay in Clemons with you doing nothing until 2 a.m.? To feed you soup when you think you’ll never get better? To never tell anyone about that one time you bruised your face walking into a bathroom stall in Trinity? It’s hard to imagine what it would be like without them. Be thankful for the big and small things they’ll do for you, the lengths they’ll go to to make sure they have your back.
4) Food
Although it’s sometimes hard to be thankful for that fourth piece of Christian’s pizza you wish you hadn’t eaten, we take it for granted that we have food whenever we want it. Things I might never be able to do: enjoy O’Hill, understand why coffee costs $10 at West Range, or figure out where Wilsdorf Café actually is. But what I know I’ll always be grateful for is being able to meet this basic human need.
5) The Internet
Thank you, Internet, for allowing me to procrastinate, watch 30 consecutive minutes of “Friends” bloopers, have access to all zillion seasons of “Lizzie McGuire”, look up things on Wikipedia that are probably completely wrong, see a dog try to bounce on a trampoline (look it up — cutest thing ever), experience Justin Bieber throwing up on stage and be judged for how much time I spend on Perez Hilton. Without you, my GPA would probably be a lot higher, but I’d be much less amused.
6) Cell phone
My friends often tease me that my cell phone is practically my third arm. Having something to simultaneously keep me in contact with all my friends and family, entertain me and help me avoid awkward eye contact is a blessing. Where better to find out my friends’ political prowess than through looking at 12 Instagrams of an “I Voted” sticker? Also, you can’t deny that there is nothing better than a marathon phone call with a close friend or family member. Sometimes that’s all you need to brighten up a day.
7) Advil
I might go as far to call this tiny miracle drug the best thing that has ever happened to me. It might be singularly responsible for my presence in Friday 8 a.m. discussions. Drop a dumbbell on your toe in the middle of a crowded gym? It probably won’t save your embarrassment — it won’t, trust me — but at least your toe will feel better. And because I’ll never be a doctor, it gives me a lot of satisfaction to give out the only medical advice I know: Just take a few Advil, you’ll be fine!
8) Sleep
There is nothing quite like the feeling of your head hitting the pillow after a long day of class, work and meetings. A good night’s sleep or a well-timed power nap seem to be the cure-all for everything, whether it’s stress or that headache that won’t go away. Because we, as college students, choose to do so many other things when we should be sleeping — see number five, Internet — what little sleep we do get goes a long way. Use Thanksgiving break to catch up.
9) Music
My friends are thankful I play it loud enough to drown out my awful singing. I’m thankful I play it loud enough to drown out my friends complaining about my awful singing. Nothing brings people together like a mutual fondness for a band you’d thought that no one else had ever heard of. Music is an instant connection, a conversation starter, a party starter and, if you’re lucky, a productivity starter.
10) America
I am truly thankful for all the freedom and opportunity living in this country brings. I was a first-time voter last week, and no feeling quite compared to the satisfaction I got from walking out of the voting booth. Though it’s hard to imagine how a single person can affect the outcome of something as large as a presidential election, the fact that we are all entitled to our own opinions and are able to put them to use is a pretty special thing. That, and the abundance of America-themed parties. Nothing says “I love my country” like wearing a flag as a dress and shotgunning a beer from an American flag can.
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