happy thanksgiving!!

hi friends! and happy thanksgiving day!

today is a busy day for many reasons. people are traveling to see family, many are cooking up a storm to prepare for their family, and lots of people are patiently (or maybe not so patiently) waiting for the thanksgiving feast to be ready.

today is the day that people recognize and highlight all the things that they are thankful for. I don't know why we need a specific day for it, but here we are. thanksgiving is a day that families gather together to celebrate the day that pilgrims came to America.

some people don't realize, but when the pilgrims came to America, they claimed to "discover" America and claim it as their own. realistically, America was already populated with it's indigenous peoples and many lives were taken. many people in today's day and age don't really know the true story, but maybe it's better that we realize thanksgiving as a day to be thankful rather than the true story.

for many, this is a day to be with family and celebrate each other and be thankful for what life has given us and what we have worked for. but for some, this is a very nerve-racking day for many reasons. we need to remember that not everyone is comfortable with what we are comfortable with, and that's okay.

to celebrate being thankful I've found a few gratitude prompts to help guide us in being thankful: (found and summarized from studykorner.com)

• a strength of mine that I am grateful for is...

• something that money can't buy that I am grateful for is...

• something that comforts me that I am grateful for...

• something that is funny which I am grateful for is...

• something in nature that I am grateful for is...

• a memory I am grateful for...

• something that changes that I am grateful for is...

• a challenge I am grateful for is...

• something interesting that I am grateful for...

• something beautiful that I am grateful for...

grab a piece of paper and jot down your answers. it really helps! visualizing and pointing out what you're thankful for is a great way to understand that you have more to be grateful for than you think.

here are my answers: (incase you're interested):

• a strength of mine that I am grateful for is management of time, especially with school work. I often try to do too much and burn myself out, but I've been getting better.

• something that money can't buy that I am grateful for is my relationship with my boyfriend, my family and my few close friends. I appreciate them loving me for who I am and being there for me when I need them.

• something that comforts me which I am grateful for is cuddling with my puppy and my boyfriend when I am feeling sad.

• something that is funny which I am thankful for is tiktok. yes it might be weird and some of the stuff on there is inappropriate, there are some good videos which are comedic relief and soothing to me (especially cleaning and organizing videos).

• something in nature that I am grateful for is the fall leaves, one of my favorite times of year.

• a memory that I am grateful for is my and my boyfriend's first date at Dairy Cream Corner, going to Columbus with my mom for Mother's Day, and going to church camp with my dad as a little girl.

• something that changes that I am grateful for is the weather. I like spring and summer because it's warm, but fall is my favorite because of the pretty weather, but I also like winter because that's when Christmas and my birthday are. so I really appreciate the changing weather and having the different seasons.

• a challenge that I am grateful for is school. while it's not my favorite, I know that it will help me in the long run. I want to be a therapist and that takes a lot of work and school, so I guess I am stuck with it.

• something interesting that I am grateful for is equality. I think it's interesting because so many people have to fight for equality and I believe that everyone should be treated the same and we shouldn't have to argue over it.

• something beautiful that I am grateful for is flower bouquets and sunsets.

if these ideas are too abstract, write down five things that you are thankful for that are simple. it could be a roof over your head, transportation, a job, family. being thankful doesn't have to be a competition. being thankful has no rules.

a huge thing that I am grateful for is mental health care. in the last 10-20 years, mental health care has really transformed. with the need of counseling and therapy and medication increasing, there's a bigger and bigger need for counselors and therapists and psychologists. I am thankful for those who are working in the industry working to help people better themselves. I am thankful that I have gotten to experience this field of work and it has made me want to go into it even more.

mental health care is definitely something that I don't take for granted. many people cannot afford it or don't know where to look for help. the need for mental health care providers is growing by the second.

everyone can benefit from therapy or counseling even if you don't have a mental illness. therapy is beneficial to everyone. going through therapy isn't something to be ashamed of. bettering yourself will help you better help others.

I hope this helps someone realize that therapy is helpful and not something to worry about. it's okay to not be okay. be thankful for what you can receive and be thankful for those who help you get there.

I hope everyone has an amazing thanksgiving and gets full bellies. I'll see everyone next Tuesday for a new blog post.

xx Loryn