So, this year has not been kind. To any of us. AT all.
And, when things don't go well, when we're sad, when we think the universe is conspiring to ruin our good times, we tend to do a few things. We mope, or we complain, or we point fingers. It's rare that when life hands you lemons, you give thought to the best lemonade recipe you know, even though that's what we try to do and it might even be what we say we do. It just does not always work out like that.
What I want to be able to do, ideally, is look at a situation as an OPPORTUNITY. Even those situatons that are working my nerves--I wish I was able to be THANKFUL that I have a situation that can really test my problem-solving skills.
Wouldn't that be awesome? If I could look at it that way? Imagine how my perspectives would shift about everything. Nothing would be awful because everything would be a lesson in which I had a chance to learn something.
So, bottom line, I wish I was thankful for ALL opportunity, not just the ones that may provide immediate, tangible benefits.
So...your turn.
What do you WISH you could be thankful for? How come you're not? Can you see any way to change your own mind about it?
ReplyDeleteI have always been a thankful person. I genuinely try to look for the best in every situation and I constantly find myself telling people to “look on the brightside.” Sometimes im almost TOO positive; for example, when my mom burnt her hand on the stove I told her that we are lucky to even have a hot-working stove. Being thankful is second nature to me. However, it is easier to make others aware of the bigger picture than it is to make yourself aware. Im human. There are times in life where it is nearly impossible to turn my negative thinking into positive thinking. When I am overwhelmed with emotions of anger or sadness or fear, nothing around me seems positive. But, there is one thing that will always be looked at as negative no matter what emotions I am feeling. And that is bullying. There will NEVER be a positive side to bullying, the way I look at it. I wish that watching kids get beat up or degraded could be something else that I am thankful for, but it never will be. Maybe I am wrong. Maybe there is something about bullying that has its benefits. But from what I know, from what I have seen, and from what I have learned, hitting and punching and name-calling and taunting is something that none of us should be thankful for and cherish. I can't even bring myself to think of why it would be acceptable because it makes me sick. I am not talking about defending yourself and fighting back- not that kind of violent behavior. I respect people who stand up for others. I am talking about the kids and even adults who target others for no specific reason. There is nothing good about bullying and nothing will change my feelings towards it.
I wish I could be thankful for school. I understand that education is extremely important and that a lot of people can’t get the same education that I can but I wish I didn't have to get up and go to school everyday. I've never been able to be thankful for the homework, note taking, or tests that I am given so that I can learn something. Waking up before the sun rises, standing outside waiting for a bus to come pick me up, and then being forced to be awake and alert while I listen in class is horrible and it has made me appreciate school and my education a lot less over the years. The company my dad works for builds housing for communities and things like that (I don’t really understand how it works) but he goes on fishing trips to Guatemala every year with his boss and a few other people in his job. In Guatemala the country provides teachers but the communities need to raise money for the buildings, desks, books, and what ever else you need to have a fully functioning school. When my dad went last year a lot of the fishing mates on his boat had kids that went to a local school in that town. When he saw the school building it was basically just concrete walls with no windows and barely a roof. The community was trying to raise $25,000 to make the school a better place and to add things that the kids needed. It was tough raising money so my father and all his work buddies got together and with their own money raised $25,000 for them. After the money was all put together my dad’s boss matched it making $50,000 so that the school could have everything they needed. I Oakcrest we complain about not having a ceiling while they barely have a roof. We complain about having to learn while the kids in Guatemala are so thankful to finally having a place to learn. I don’t think most of the Oak. students understand how lucky we are. All those kids were so excited to finally have a good school so that they could get the education that they deserved. I really wish I could be as thankful for my education as they are because then maybe I would be a little more excited to wake up every morning and wait for that bus.
ReplyDeleteThis is probably the 289492389th time that I am going to mention the topic of how much I stress myself out over education, but I figure that I make a few good points when it comes to this. So here I go.
ReplyDeleteIf you know me, you know that I LOVE school. I love the dynamic of the building. I love the social aspect of going to school. I love the way that Oakcrest is my second home. I love being apart of such a wonderful group of friends that I get to be with everyday. But I don’t enjoy the hours of homework that takes up my life each night. I don’t like the feeling of being handed back a test that has an unfortunate grade plastered on it. I can’t say the anxiety that I get while waiting for a new grade to show up on Genesis is fun. But none of these stressful aspects of education would be possible if I didn’t have education in my life. So as often as it makes me want to rip my hair out at times, I wish that I was able to tell my brain to calm down and be thankful that I have the privilege of going to school each day. It’s easy to forget that school isn’t a worldwide necessity; there are several children that don’t have the access to a building that has the potential to determine the success of their future, and I know that most, if not all of them, would do anything to be in my shoes, staying up late hours learning about the anatomy of the ear and learning how to translate sentences into Latin.
I wish that it was easier to be thankful that I’m able to go to school for 8 hours a day. Don’t get me wrong, I’m very appreciative that I have the education that I do. But it’s hard to look past the struggles of it, and I’m not sure if that’s because my education hasn’t really gotten me anywhere yet since I’m still only in high school or what. Or maybe, as much as I hate to say it, going to school each day is something that I take for granted because, well, I have been doing it for approximately 13 years, so it's grown to be my lifestyle. It's routine for me. And maybe I have fallen a little too deep into the routine to think of it as something more than ordinary.
When I'm stressing over the next math test I take, I can't do anything about it but be grateful that I have a math test infront of me that I'm able to take. Next time when my computer crashes and deletes the project I spent long nights working on, I'll try to remember that I'm lucky to have a computer and I'm lucky to have knowledge on the topic of my project, even if it means I'll have to start over. And the next time I over exaggerate by saying that I'm going to drop out of school because it's too much, I will remember that I need to be thankful for my education while I have it, because some people don't.
I wish I was thankful for technology. I wish I loved how available it is, and admired how fast the internet works. I wish I fell in love with turning the pages of a book on my kindle. I wish I was fascinated by how a click of a button, and the punching of a couple letters arranged in a QWERTY design could land you to a plethora of pages such as: different statistics, sports records from any time period, pictures of famous political people in the 1700’s, the inside scoop of a celebrity's personal life, etc. I wish I loved the way I watch actors acting on TV rather than in a theatre. I wish I loved the way that you can get in touch with all of your acquaintances in your bed with a press of your finger against a piece of glass which is now what the typical phone looks like. I wish it brought joy to me seeing what everyone was up to every 20 minutes on Twitter or Facebook.
ReplyDeleteI am a very thankful person. I like to count my blessings, especially because I know that many people don’t have that many to count. Technology is something I am not thankful for, though. My parents and grandparents always tell me stories of when they were little, and all of their stories have to do with them playing outside with their friends or playing soccer on the beach. Now, people just go to the beach, take pictures, tan, and leave. When I was younger, I used to love pulling out my own little library card and checking out the max number of books each week. I love that smell that hits me when I first walk in. I love seeing people in their own little bubble, reading a book that is beginning to shape them in some way. Now, you can purchase your very own copy of a book on a tablet made for reading. However, you can’t feel the pages turning at your fingertips. You can’t smell that amazing smell of a new or old book. You can’t write in the margins with pens that will eventually smudge, but you won’t care because it is YOUR book. I hate that social media controls your friendships also. I hate that if someone follows and unfollows you or does or doesn’t like your picture, it automatically defines your friendship or acquaintanceship. I hate that a couple words in a tweet or facebook post can ruins someone’s day or week or month. I hate that a text can either make or break someone’s day. I am not a fan of technology.
Honestly, I don’t think I can find a way to make myself be thankful for it. Today I went to Shoprite to buy all the ingredients we need to cook a big Thanksgiving dinner. I look into one of those refrigerators with no tops on them, and I found a turkey made out of butter. The detail on it was amazing! It had the feathers and a beak carved into it, and it was only the size of my hand. It is sad to say that that turkey has fascinated me more than any Apple product, laptop, and flat screen TV ever has.
If you know me, you'd know that I don't complain about a lot of things. I don't get easily angered and am seemingly thankful for everything that I've been given. I try to live by the code of never being greedy and only helping others out that are in need. Or just simply putting a smile on someone's face. Now there are some things of course I cherish and am thankful for more than others, but if there is one thing that I'd like to be more thankful for is my family's finances.
ReplyDeleteWhile I am able to come home to a house with heat, a roof over my head, food to eat, and clothes on my back, there are little things I wish I had. I don't mean to sound like a hypocrite, but I don't usually ask for things. So when I do, my mom usually is able to get the thing I want in a couple of days. There hasn't been a time where my mom hasn't gotten something I want. And even that right is a blessing for me. I only live with my mom and there are times where child support money doesn't come in from my father. And those are the times where when I do want something, my mom sometimes can't get it for me. That's where I become pretty stubborn and don't want to talk to her and only want to think by myself about why things are the way they are in my life.
It sucks. But I know my parents mean well and it's not my fault for what happened between them. So if I could change one thing about myself and be more thankful for, it'd definitely be to be more thankful of the things I have been given. I don't have to have everything in the world, but maybe it's better for not only me, but the health of my mother, to cut back on asking for expensive items. Because the more I do that, the more she has to work. And she already works 9 hours a day, not to mention weekends that are optional thank goodness. She deserves better. Maybe I need a job now instead of in the summer which I was planning to do anyway. I can't bear to see my mom work as hard now.
As I had mentioned in the last blog, I am called ungrateful a lot. I wish I could be thankful for the advice that my parents give me. Often, my parents give me long lectures about fake friends, moving too fast, and school and a lot of times I choose not to listen to them. And then when I get into rough situations that I could've avoided if I only listened to them, I end up wishing I would've at least considered taking their advice.
ReplyDeleteI'm not as thankful for their advice because I feel as though they don't understand what I'm going through and they just want to say the things they say for no reason. As a teenager, I noticed I have moved from the "I love mommy and daddy so much!" stage to the "I can't stand my parents." I honestly wish I did have a relationship with my parents like I used to but a lot of times I feel like I can't talk to them or they can't relate to me.
However, as i'm getting older I started to realize that most of the time - actually all of the time, my parents are right. And a way I could change my mind about it is actually listening and using their advice to my advantage. Because although I wish I was thankful for their advice, I actually am very thankful for them in general.
I wish I could be thankful for unwanted opportunities. There are things that I just don't find interesting enough for me to do. And sometimes, these once “great” opportunities turn into “wasted” opportunities because I have decided not to acknowledge them. There was one time when I was asked to model for a big fashion show in New York City. Part of the reason I turned down the offer was because I was shy, and I thought it was a scam. However, the real reason behind the rejection towards the big offer was that modelling does not sound and look appealing to me. I wish I loved modelling. Some opportunities that are given to me, like modelling, I feel like it is not worth my time. I am taking them for granted. And as one of those people who was given that kind of chance, sure I was flattered, yet I do not care at all. Today, when opportunities come my way I accept them, even if I do not like them. I try them out and see how I feel, and unfortunately I still most of the time do not feel anything. There will be times when I will feel like I am a robot because of the zero emotions I find towards something or a situation. Without a doubt, if it was a different person in my shoes, they will be ecstatic about the opportunities Karla gets. I really would love to work on this side of me. I think the only way my mind would change about it is when an “unwanted” opportunity of mine comes in the right time with the right people, then that will maybe trigger something in me that will finally be grateful for the opportunities that I once thought was worthless and boring.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could be more thankful about people being put in my life that reinforce to me why I can't trust people. As human beings we tend to invest alot of time in friendships and relationships. But, its sad to say everything is going to last something are just temporary to learn a particular lesson then, that person who taught us it is meant to be dismissed from our life. Usually they leave without explanation or they make it seem like it was something that you did. However, where you might be going in the next level of your life maybe their not meant to go with you. Maybe, they are a person that isn't meant to be around when you reap the benefit of whats in stored for you. In all retrospect we look back on people and are like " damn, I really do miss that person". But, were never look it like once I removed that toxic person out of my life I was able to push myself harder to get that dream job I wanted or I was able to make better decisions for myself. Or even I was able to realize my worth and what I shouldn't have settled for. This comes into play for people who are genuinely good people. We tend to ask ourselves damn what did I do to deserve this? Why me? But, we most realize some people aren't strong enough to go through things. Yeah, maybe life throws tough battles at us but, only strong will make the most of it. Only the strong will take something sour as a lemon and make it into something sweet like lemonade. Strong people don't wear what they've been through on their face they perserve and spread their experiences with others as life testimonies.
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ReplyDeleteTomorrow's Thanksgiving and I’ve thought long and hard about this week’s blog. But I still can’t think of anything that “I wish I could be thankful for.” I can pretty much say that I am thankful for everyone and everything that has crossed some sort of path throughout my life, creating some kind of impact on me, making me who I am today. Whether it being positive or negative. If I really wasn’t thankful for something I’d feel bad, in a way. Everything and everyone serves a purpose, that’s why they’re here, or, that’s why they were invented.
I really thought about what I wish I was thankful for, then I realized that there’s things that I know none of us really realize how thankful we should actually be for them.
I never realized how thankful I was for my ankle until I severely sprained it this past Saturday. That I can’t just “walk it off,” mainly because I can’t really walk without limping like a complete idiot. Everyone is always saying how fun crutches are, but the piercing red rashes under my arms from only three days beg to differ. I never really appreciated my ankle until I couldn’t use it, or march on it. I don’t even want to imagine what it would be like if the crack I heard was from it actually breaking. Just from this I realized how “unthankful” I was for my ankle, also realizing that most of us aren’t thankful for stuff like that, especially if you’ve never hurt anything. This little “tumble” I took from missing a few stairs made me realize all of this.
How unthankful I am for eyesight. That there are people out there that’ll never see the beauty of the world, if they’ve ever even seen it at all. Never being able to read music, march a show, or do my makeup just how I like it. How unthankful I am for the ability to hear. That I couldn’t imagine not being able to. Never being able to hear my own voice, or how I sound when I play music or sing. I never realized how these “simple” things are taken so for granted. Just without those two things, music would be nothing but a dream to me.
I just sprained my ankle, I can’t think about the people who weren’t even born with one, what they go through. I don’t “wish I was thankful for these things,” I just realized how thankful I actually am. That taking a fall, looking like the elderly lady from the life alert commercial taught me so much, as I crutch down the halls of Oakcrest so miserably.
I’m sure we’ve all gotten into pretty brutal fights with our parents and thought the worst of them, even though we never mean it. Which is why my mom is what I wish I could be more thankful for.
ReplyDeleteI love my mom more than anything, and I always will. But sometimes, in the heat of the moment, I take all my frustrations out on her, losing sight of how much she means to me. Since they have always been in my life, I often take them or granted. This is because “you never realize what you have until it’s gone”.
My mom have always provided me with what they could, never sparing anything for themselves. Their selflessness inspires me to want to be a great parent in the future, but more currently a great son.
I wish I didn't take my parents for granted, but I do because I’ve never been without them. My mom does so much goes through so much and asks for so little, which is why I wish I could be more thankful for her.
As an only child, I get all of my parent's attention. It's all on me and only me. I wish I could say I am grateful for that. I love my parents more than anything in this world. They are truly the greatest people I know and I will always appreciate everything they have done for me. However, sometimes there are moments where I just want to be by myself and be in silence and not talk to anyone so in result of that, whenever my parents want to talk to me when I'm in that moment I become either really irritable and not answer the question or keep the answers short. Either way I'm being very disrespectful and I don't realize it until I'm getting yelled at by both my parents and conscience. I am fully aware that there are kids that would die for a five minute conversation with their parents yet I'm shooing my parents to leave me alone. I don't know and understand why I act like this.
ReplyDeleteGoing off of the subject of my parents, I have never really acknowledged everything they have given me. Not only did they spend seven weeks in a foreign, poverty stricken country for me, but they have also given me the most privileged life anyone could have. They are financially stable and have given me everything I have ever wanted or needed. Also despite the fact they are separated, they are like best friends. They get along and visitation/days with opposite parents has never been an issue. I know some of my friends have been in opposite situations and I am so lucky to have parents like mine.
In a nutshell, my thankfulness is to my parents. They are the people who will support you with unconditional love and would beat anyone up for you in a heart beat. This blog made me realize to never take your parents for granted because you could be in an opposite situation that is ten times worse.
I wish I was grateful for how my body has never been seriously injured. In my 16 years of life, I've been hurt so many times, but never to the point where I needed a cast,stitches, or crutches. Many people have broken so many parts or have gotten stitches on their body at young ages and I haven't even sprained anything. My 14 year old brother had even gotten stitches on his head from being pushed off from the top of the house and he could've almost died, but thank god he lived. I think it's something worth being grateful for because it's small stuff like not being hurt severely that's saves me from immense pain and suffering. I'm glad to say I've never experienced what it's like to not be able to use your leg or arm and that my whole body's always been functioning perfectly fine without extra support. I guess I'm not exactly grateful for this because I don't really think about it. I see many people on crutches or wearing casts, but I never put myself in their shoes and I'm never like "oh I wonder how I'd be if I was on crutches." I'm so used to my body functioning I don't think what would happen if it weren't functioning perfectly.There's a quote that goes something like "you never know what you have until it's gone" & I think that applies to me in this situation because I feel like I'll truly be thankful for having a functioning body after I understand what it feels like to have a part of me that's not so functioning.
ReplyDeleteI wish I was thankful for everything my mom has provided me.
ReplyDeleteGrowing up as an only child everything is handed. I never have to wait longer than a day to get what I asked for and whenever I hear the word no it’s either around Christmas or my birthday.
There are people growing up or grown up with mothers that neglect them and mothers that can’t offered most of their child’s desires. Knowing that I know that I should be grateful. I should be grateful because even though my mom doesn’t tell me I know she struggles sometimes to pay her bills on time ,but she continues to manage to provide me my WANTS as wells as my needs.
However, I honestly don’t think I’ll ever be grateful. How can I be grateful when I have no idea what it is like to be without?
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ReplyDeleteI wish I could be more thankful or appreciative of the privilege of education, school always seems like a burden to me. With all of the work and all of the drama that ties in with high school sometimes it's really a drag to come to school and surround myself with people who I clash with, or even my friends sometimes. But as a girl I sometimes forget people of other nations - especially females- or sometimes even other people in America, don't get the same education as I do. So the next time I complain that something is boring, or tedious, or just "unnecessary" and won't help me in real life, I will remember to be thankful that I am learning and broadening my intelligence. I am educationally striving as a black girl in America when being who I am is typically an excuse to give up. Family often tell me how bright I am, and teachers who have taught and some that still do teach me, tell me how they see a successful future for me, and I believe that for myself too. But without school and education and all the boring, tedious work, I won't be able to become the successful women I intend to be.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could be thankful for my lack of determination. I wish I could be smarter, faster, stronger, etc. I’m not in the league of athletes as others and I’m not in the league of straight A's. Knowing that I can improve, I still don’t try to achieve. It’s not like I don’t care but more like I don’t have the determination. Sure I’m not exactly an A’s student but I’m not a failing student either nor am I a pro-level athlete but I’m not really inactive. I just don’t have the resolution to study really hard and working out till I’m jacked. I know it’s beneficial for me, but I just find an excuse to not do it. Thus, I’m not thankful for my lack of determination.
ReplyDeleteI do see some good in my lacking of determination. This is who I am. It is better to stay who you are than changing yourself to please other people's’ views. And it is not really lacking determination. I still see fit to do moderate exercises and some degree of studying. It’s the lack of determination to go the extra mile. I’m being me and that’s who I am. I don’t have to be, smarter, faster, better. As Bruce Lee once said, “Always be yourself, express yourself, have faith in yourself, do not go out and look for a successful personality and duplicate it.”
I wish I could be thankful for time to study and just time in general. Having torn my ACL, I now have more time to study, to be by myself, and more time to just get better in general. I also have more time to socialize with people and get closer to friends. This, although, is something I just can't be thankful for. I mean, how can someone be thankful for something that was so painful and terrible? I really do wish I could be thankful for the time given to me. There are other students loaded with work and added on top of their sport, they basically have no time to themselves or they have no time with their friends. The fact that I've basically been forced to take time to study and other things is something I wish I could be thankful for. There's a different end to this stick although. While I'm here wishing to be back at my sport and being ungrateful for the time I've been given, people playing their sport are probably ungrateful for the ability they've been given and they probably wish they had more time. I honestly just can't be thankful for the time given to me because I just wish that I could spend that time doing something I love, which is running. Not being able to run is honestly the worst feeling and although I have time to study, I just can't appreciate that. Right now, I can't really find a way to change my mind about it. I've tried taking up a new hobby and I've tried looking at ways to utilize the time given to me and I've tried thinking of people that wish they had as much time as me, but I can't be thankful for something when it takes me away from something I love so much.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could be thankful for my grades.
ReplyDeleteMy grades are not bad, in fact, according to some people, they are amazing. However, I always set a goal for myself and seeing anything lower than a 95 is below my expectation. I never feel satisfied with my grades, whether it goes under or over the value, maybe it is because I know I can do better in whatever I failed at.
I know I should be proud of what I have. Having stayed up many nights with only minutes of sleep left proves how studious I can be. But my stubbornness does not allow me to do so, so I cannot see a way for me to change my mind about it.
I am grateful for many of the things in my life and all the things I take for granted. However, one main thing came to mind on the things I wish I could be thankful for, and that is waking up very early to go to school. Now, I don’t want to sound lazy, and I do value the wonderful privilege of education, but sometimes (well, many times), it’s just so difficult for me to get up in the morning. Between the amount of work due per week, to hearing the drama of Oakcrest, to lacking sleep, I find myself struggling with exhaustion, wishing to stay under those warm covers and yearning for Friday to come quickly. I know this is a pretty bad thing to say, but I feel it is just too early for school to begin at 7:25am, considering that I have to wake up at 5 every morning and end up going to bed late. This is especially awful on Mondays, or rainy Mondays. I wish school could at least begin at 8:00am, and that way, I would not have to force myself to be alert in class, the reason why so many of us drink coffee. This happens to be one of the major reasons of why many dread coming to school as well. Also, it is one of the major things that causes the lack of my motivation sometimes, finishing all the homework, classwork, labs , tests, etc. and repeating the routine for 180 days. However despite this, I remember that though it is very easy to give up, I have to wake up early for school so I can be successful and because it is a wonderful opportunity that I will be proud of later if I just hold on. This is incredibly significant, especially here as a black girl. Even though I have to drag myself out of bed and try not to wake up at 5:30, I will put in the best effort that I can to reach my goals since the value of education is longed by many people elsewhere who may not have the same privilege as I do.
ReplyDeleteThis is a little tough for me considering I'm thankful for everyone and everything in my life. There are so many people in this world who don't have the things I own and I'm very fortunate to have what I have. But after deep thought, I finally thought of siblings. I wish I were thankful to have siblings in my life. I wish I were thankful to have an immediate best friend. I wish I were thankful to have siblings that I could go to for anything. Siblings are a sensitive topic to me because I really wish I had at least one or two. I'm not fond of being an only child. To be completely honest, I feel lonely and I hate being the center of attention. For those of you who have a sibling or few, it's not all that it's cracked up to be. Yeah of course you get all of the love and attention, but you're always alone. At family parties and events, at home, literally everywhere, you are alone. You do have your parents but it's not the same.
ReplyDeleteAs much as I wish I had a sibling, I've learned to just deal with the fact that I'm not getting one. My mom is my best friend that I have for life. This may be the case for people who do have a sibling, but for me it's different. We automatically have that special bond considering that she's a single mom with only me to take care of. We do have many downs but we push through it, always. I'm beyond thankful to have a mother like her.
I wish I could be thankful for all of the family time my parents try to create. Most kids love to go out to a movie or dinner, even more so for bigger trips like going to an amusement park or beach. I don’t though, I’ve never really liked leaving my house to go do something. I’d much rather prefer to stay home and play games or watch tv. Even things like parties don’t interest me if too many people are going. I’m just a secluded person, always have been and always will. The only problem that really arises is my lack of interaction, especially with family. My parents want to go to six flags or the beach as many times as they can. A majority of these trips I spend at home, not because my parents don’t want me to come but because I beg them not to take me. They feel awful like they’re the ones being mean when I turn down their offers of places to go. They love me and I love them but social gatherings are not my favorite. Many kids can only dream of their parents behaving like mine and I seem to take advantage of it. Is it bad that I don’t want to spend time with them? Am I a terrible person for putting this barrier between myself and those around me? These are the type of questions that constantly enter my mind. I can only imagine if I didn’t have the technology we have today. No way of communication outside of face-to-face would have kept me perpetually hidden. While I’m thankful for a lot this thanksgiving, I will never really cherish the effort my family puts in to try and spend some quality time with me.
ReplyDeleteI flat out wish I was more thankful for everyone in my life. My family, friends, classmates, and teachers I love them all don't get me wrong but I am not grateful enough for them. My family I cherish but I rather hang out with friends then them which is wrong because family should come first. I wish I was more grateful for my friends but honestly if we don't communicate I have no energy anymore to put forth effort to talk to them. Instead of being grateful for everyones smiles, laughs, and their efforts to keep me happy instead I stay neutral with everyone. I wish I was more thankful for the times my significant other and I share. I wish I asked her more questions about how her day was going, I wish I cared more, I wish I was more thankful for her existence considering she helps get me through the roughest times. I wish I was more thankful for my father but I can't be thankful for him right now, I'm still in this bullshit of a healing process. I wish I was more thankful for my mother and the fact that she's currently clean, but I can't say I am because I'm still so hurt. My sisters deserve to get more love from me but I'm so mentally exhausted I can't show them how thankful I am to have life long best friends. I wish I was more thankful for my family and friends because then maybe I wouldn't be so depressed all the time. Maybe if I saw them all as such blessings I wouldn't think so negatively. After all if I was thankful for them all I would be more of a grateful person in general.
ReplyDeleteI really wish I was more thankful about my sister. I always tell everyone I know on how nuts she is to me. Anything remotely positive about my sister I always tend to leave that out so that they have pity for me. And whenever I think back on all of those conversations I've had, I'm starting to regret it. Why am I not thankful as I should be for my sister? Well the simple reason is that she annoys me a lot. She also sometimes doesn't even listen to me. Then she annoys me in the most aggravating ways possible like yelling loudly at my ear or plopping on top of me. But when I start to think "what if my sister wasn't annoying"? Then I realize how dull and quiet my life would be. My sister's childish antics is a part of my life. So I have to learn how to embrace it rather than hoping one day she'll act normal (although I still fear for my sanity since I have limits on tolerating how annoying my sister is). Hopefully I will get used to my sister annoying me if not I might go insane, but hey she's still my little sister so I have to love her no matter what.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could be thankful for the people I have in my life, because I sometimes take them lightly. I'm the type of person that tries facing every problem by myself, and thinks that I don't need help to be successful. Unfortunately, a lot of times I lose people because of these reasons. As I'm getting older and facing new issues, I realize life is not meant to be traveled through alone. It's not possible to make it by yourself, and its not something to chose by choice. I have a lot of great people in my life at the moment, and they've shown me from time to time why I need them. I'm a very thankful person, because I'm the type of person that has survived miracles. However, Keeping people in my life, and being thankful and appreciative of my close friends is a trait I lack.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the year, besides just Thanksgiving, I’m thankful. I’m always thankful. I may not act like it or show it all the the time, but I am. I have a roof over my head, and food on the table and there's nothing else that I need. But there are things I could be a little more thankful for. Beauty. As simple as that, I’m not thankful for beauty. I’m not talking about the chiseled chin on Zac Efron or his six pack of abs, I’m talking about nature, natural beauty. Of course I think things are beautiful, like the leaves when they change colors in the fall, or the way the sun perfectly reflects of the lake or river, but to completely honest, I don’t care for it. I’m all about the future, I’m always moving 90 mph ready for my next adventure, and I never take a second to just stop and admire the beauty of things around me. The sunrise/ sunset doesn’t amaze, and a full moon doesn’t spark my interest, probably because I know it will always be there. I take it for granted. I could try not being so fast forward all the time, I can to admire the second I’m in, and enjoy the little things. I can learn to be thankful for beauty.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could be grateful for all of the riots going on right now. I know that it is for a good cause for some people. But I just can't wrap my head around people being so hostile and aggressive in these riots. If it was i my situation I bet I would love this and If I somehow agreed to this I would be put there. But I'm a hypocrite. I just cannot be grateful for all of these riots. Even though we have a complete asshole at the head of our country, I cannot relate or accept any of the riots going on right now. In order for me to agree and be thankful for our freedom of speech in order to riot like this, is for there to be complete peace and no threats that can harm a state and not get the people to come together. It is sad where our country is going, but I just can't be grateful for these riots. I wish I could believe me.
ReplyDeleteIn today's world it seems like all people do is complain and complain all the time. There are some people though, that appreciate everything they have and some who do not. I have always been a person that appreciated everything because I always knew people had it worse than me. I wish I was more thankful for my relatives. I didn't realize until a few years ago how much they really meant to me. I wasn't thankful before because I always thought that my relatives were not really a part of my family because I didn't really see them a lot. Recently though, I have become very close with my grandma and uncle. Our relationship in the last years have made me change my appreciation for my relatives. Now that I am older I can really appreciate them and all that they do for and have done for me. I feel bad that it took me this long to have this appreciation, but at least I have this great appreciation now.
ReplyDeleteI wish I was thankful for the little things. We don't even realize the reletiviness. In the long run the little things are what accumulate to the "big" things. I go through life and have a natural instinct to only appreciate the big things in life. The big picture is the end result and is what symcs into our memory, so of course I'm going to be thankful for them. The little things always appear in your days, so often that most go unnoticed. I have to train my mind to appreciate the little things; to pay more attention during my day and to remind myself to appreciate them.
ReplyDeleteI have always been a thankful person. I am happy with everything that I have been given in my life. If I could think of one thing that I'm not very thankful for that I wish I could be, it would be school. Now don't get me wrong I do like some things about school. Certain teachers, friends, and the environment I love but I just can't grip schoolwork.
ReplyDeleteThe reason I Am not very thankful for school is because I think it is boring. I just don't seem to like schoolwork because I think it is boring. I appreciate being there because I know it is a privilege that other people don't have but I hate waking up early only to be talked at by half my teachers. I just wish I could appreciate it more.
The things that I could think of to change my mind about it would be many. For one I know it is school and it is the place to learn so I need to grip that concept more. Also I think I need to appreciate teachers more because they are just trying to do their jobs. Hopefully in the future I can go to school happy not because I'm seeing my friend but rather getting a good education.
I wish I could be way more thankful for all my STUFF. Anything that I have that is not a necessity, like phones, video games, and other toys and tech, I wish I could be ten times more grateful for. These days, whenever I get something new, especially if it is something I haven't asked for, I just do not feel all that special. So many people in this world do not have even the basic necessities, and here I am getting down just because I did not get something I wanted. I think this might've happened because i grew up with stuff, and the novelty has just worn off. Many kids in my generation are just amassing materials, and they are just wanting more and more, never satisfied. The only way that I can think of to change my mind would be to open my eyes. It is time I looked at the less fortunate, instead of passing by them in the streets. Its time I thought about it.
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ReplyDeleteI wish I could be thankful for my controlling parents. I’m not thankful for them right now because I’m not allowed to do the things that most kids in highschool are. I consider myself a pretty well behaved kid, which is why I think I deserve more freedom than what I have. When I ask to go places my parents tell me no with no reasoning behind their answer. Although I don’t appreciate the way I’m raised I know that my parents treat me this way out of love. I understand that they don’t want me to get sidetracked and lose focus of my dreams and that is the only thing that could ever make me change my mind about the way I feel. It would be nice if i had it in me to see the bigger picture after every time I’m told no, but my anger always seems to get the best of me.
I know most of my friends are introverts, so they can understand why I don't like meeting new people. During my job search I try to go for the ones that deal with people the least. If I could, I would get one where I didn't have to interact with anyone, but that's impossible. That’s why I wish I could be thankful for when people try to have a conversation with me, little or big. It’s hard for me to make any sort of bond on my own, so when someone attempts to get me to talk, I keep my answers really short. If I really don’t want to, I make it as awkward as possible, which I feel guilty about. I’m a pretty good listener and I don’t mind spending time with what most people would call talkative people, but if I have to say anything in reply, don’t expect to get anything helpful from me because I don’t know what to say. Once I’m more confident with my speaking skills, which may never happen, then I might be able to appreciate the effort. But for now, I wish I could stay away from people.
ReplyDeleteI wish that I could be thankful for having parents.
ReplyDeleteI know that there are a lot of children today in the world, who do not have any parents or have only one of their parents. Whether it is by divorce, death, or abandonment, those children are affected by the missing hole that their parents would have filled. I had my parents since birth, but I can not be thankful for them. They are the dictators over my life. Because of them, I did not have a cheery childhood that others around me get to experience. I was just forced to stay in the kitchen studying as a child; I did not have many friends or any kind of social life. I was extremely antisocial and was not the easiest to make friends with; let alone hold a simple conversation with. That is also the main reason why I have a problem socializing with people today. My parents’ motive for making study so much though was because they did not want me to end up like my parents in the future; working in the casino with little income and being burdened by debts. So I do not know whether this motive was justifiable enough to sacrifice my childhood for.
Sometimes, I wonder what it would be like to have a different set of parents or my parents divorcing from each other. I sometimes wish to have other people’s parents since I would grow jealous at all of the freedom that they give their children. My parents limit anything I do or want to do, such as hanging out with my friends or even talking to my friends. They always pressure me with the stress of having to keep my grades up, constantly yelling at me for doing something that they believe will hurt my grades. The limits they placed on my life are there to help me “succeed.” If I had different parents, maybe I would have been thankful for them. But I am not thankful for my parents who limits me from living life to the fullest.
There are so many things to be thankful for that I’ve never thought of what I wasn’t thankful for. After thinking about this blog, I’ve thought of so many things that I’m not thankful for. The thing I wish I was thankful for is probably food. So many people out in the world are stricken with hunger. I on the other hand am almost never starved unless I choose to be. I almost always have food with me and usually a variety of it. Others have no choice but to eat what they get while I can decide whether I want to have Oreo Thins or Double Stuffed. The reason why I’m not thankful is mostly because of my privilege. I have the privilege of going to sleep every night with a full stomach. I have the privilege of eating 3 meals a day. I have the privilege of picking and choosing what I want to eat. I never really realized what it would be like to not have options. The only way I can probably fix this is to go to third world countries and witness what it’s like to actually starve. I’d have to see how all those people suffer from not having food and their joy when even the smallest amount comes to them. Maybe one day I'll be thankful for the food on my table. Maybe one day.
ReplyDeleteAs a young man of 2016 I wish I could be thankful for all the bad people that came into my life. I've thought about looking at the negatives in people and turn that into the positives in my life. Because people have showed me not to treat people, not to act in public, not to raise a kid, and even not to act as an adult. Seeing failures come in and out of my life and help me for the better in the long run because of all the things they showed me not to do. I feel as if I'm not thankful for this is because I view negative people in my life as negative experiences, but if I looked at them as examples of stuff not to do I would have a more positive look on them and have a better mindset after. I don't feel as if I can change my mind on the spot, but I will continue to realize how the negative people benefited me in the long run, by simple not acting like them.
ReplyDeleteI wish I was more thankful for the knowledge I can get from my parents. My Dad in particular is able to fix just about anything. It seems no matter what I ask him to fix he knows how, and I wish I was more grateful for this and felt extremely motivated to learn from him. He has suffered from multiple heart attacks and is still going strong, however I'm not sure how much more he can take. He goes to work every day for around 12+ hours and comes home exhausted (marine construction). I wish that I was motivated to learn everything he knows and has learned in his life because without all of that information... well... I don't know what to say. I wish I could be thankful for all of this, however, while I know I should be attempting to learn everything from my parents, I'm not. My mother is great in her crafts, which I also have not learned. My mother is great at sewing, embroidery and everything of the like. Have you seen some of the Oakcrest screen printed shirts and hoodies in the school store? She made those. I wish I was thankful for the things that she knew as well because I don't know how much longer I will have with her either. Life is unpredictable and I can never know what unexpected thing will happen tomorrow, so I wish I was thankful for all they know.
ReplyDeletei wish i was thankful for my fish. I had a pet turtle named squirt(from nemo) and we would buy tiny feeder gold fish to feed him. He eat most but some where to fast and got away and grew bigger. Soon squirt was to big and we let him go. So we have all the survivors just chillin in a fish tank. The are absolutely boring. All they do is swim in the same water they poop in. They arent even interesting to just watch move around living their fish life. Maybe if i learned how exactly the are benefiting the earth by just their existence i would be thankful for them. but fir now, they are just bums without names that i have to feed and change their filter every once in a while.
ReplyDeleteThis is a good example of a post that was not proofread, and one that is not indicative of its owner's intelligence.
Delete50 percent of American children grow up with divorced parents. 75 percent of those children live with their mothers. I wish I was thankful for when I get to see my dad. I wish I was thankful for the one time every two weeks I get to spend with him for two hours. But I feel guilty because I’m not, even when I know other people don’t get to see their fathers at all. My parents have been divorced since I was 1, so nothing has changed my whole life. But every single year I’ve had two Christmases, two thanksgivings, two birthdays. And I know there are many other kids who experience this, so I am grateful that I get to hang out with my dad more than other children. But I wish that I could walk downstairs and he would be right there. That I could be sad and go into his room and he would give me a hug. When I need a laugh, he would be right there to give me one of his bad old people jokes or try to sing (let’s just say I don’t get my musicality from him). My dad usually works for most of the day, so I have to guess when he’ll answer the phone.
ReplyDeleteSimilarly, I wish I was thankful for my parents’ jobs. First off, I am so grateful that they have given everything I and my sisters need so far in our lives and they iare not unemployed. My dad, mom, and stepdad are dealers at the casinos, and as we all know, they aren’t doing so good. My step dad has had to work 2 jobs between Caesars and the Borgota because there are no full time jobs. My dad doesn’t even have a regular part time job, but he works tournaments and anytime he can get scheduled. In the past, he has driven all the way to Philly where some of the casinos have better business. And finally, my mom has had it the hardest. Being a woman in a casino where drunk guys hang out and people gamble, she is so strong. When I was little and acted like a brat, so would always tell me horrible stories of what people would say and do to her. Furthermore, with Atlantic City dying down, my family has been thinking about moving to North Jersey which I pray to God we never have to do. And as I approach college I want to try my best to get as many scholarships as I can because I don’t want them to worry about me and my sisters when it’s time for them to graduate. More recently, my dad has worked his butt off to pay for my trip to Florida because he knows with all my ap classes and band I barely have time to get a job. He knows that I love band and music and going on this trip means the world to me. My parents take time out of their busy days to drive me to and from practices, go to my concerts, and to my football games/competitions. I am so grateful for him and my mom, but I wish I was thankful for the job they do have.
I wish I could be thankful for how hard my parents work to make sure everything in our lives is going smoothly or how hard they work to just to make sure we have what we need or want. I believe I am not because of the fact that they have always been there to do things for me. I already am thankful for the sacrifices and hardships my parents have went through. But I wish I showed them how thankful I was by trying to help them through things instead of giving them a weak, passing ‘thank you’.
ReplyDeleteI also wish I were more thankful for their nature. They are the type of parents that do not let you do much or go anywhere. For the most part, all I do is go to school, go back home and do homework. I’m not thankful for this because of the fact that because of this I have been left out of many things with my friends when I was younger. Feel as if I am not trusted by them. I understand why they choose to be so strict and it makes perfect sense but no matter what there is always that feeling of wishing to do your own thing.
Well in my heart I know that there are some things I should be thankful for, but school is the number one thing that comes to mind. I wish I could be thankful for having an education. Without it, I don't know what path I may take. When I was young, I always thought that school was almost like a punishment. Preventing me to be free and have fun. It was basically a limiter. I wasn't able to explore who I am. It was nothing but a waste of my time. I couldn't see the true meaning and purpose of it. The definition of school to me back then in a form of an acronym was Six Cruel Hours Of Our Lives (SCHOOL). In reality school is actually helping me pave out a future for me but I deny the fact it is. Getting an education is helping me learn morals of live, communication, social skills etc. I should be thankful that I'm experiencing all of this. Others are unfortunate to even go to school and achieve great things. I should be glad that I have an opportunity to do great things in my life and in others. Heck even I should be thankful for the technology around me helping me out in school and making my life easier but all I see is nothing but a distraction and a limiter in my life. Technically is called being lazy but at least you're not working your mind, body and soul. (Which is a bad thing). To be honest, there is a saying that in order to get want you want or be phenomenal in life, you have to work hard. That's the purpose of school. It maybe a pain but it's aiding you to succeed in life. The more I look at it, I glad to go to school. Without it I would have never been able to make and meet the friends I have now, having greater knowledge, being social etc. So thank you school for shaping my life up.
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I wish I could be more thankful for my parents, and most especially for my mom. They are there every step of the way, whether we need life advice, help on homework, or even a little lecture t get us back on track. My mom is always around, whether I appreciate it or not. She is there to pick me up when I fall down, push my abilities to its limits, and guide me on the right path. My parents are also the reason I live such a comfortable life. A few weeks ago, when I went shopping with the family, I realized just how much our parents spend just so that we could live a nicer life than most other people. They spend their hard earned paycheck just so that we can be clothed, fed, transported, connected, housed, and ultimately, comfortable. We just don't learn to appreciate them enough because they are always there. For example, I know for a fact that when parents lecture us, its for the better. But, from our point of view, it just seems like constant berating and nagging. Our parents have good intentions, but we just don't have that same perspective. In the end, parents are something we don't really cherish until they are gone, which is why I want to begin to appreciate what they do for us that much more.
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