November is often associated with Thanksgiving, a day of gratitude and a time for families to gather together. One thing that I am grateful for is all the opportunities in my life. It’s often that I take for granted these opportunities that not everyone has access to. From receiving an education to having a supportive family, there is much to be thankful for.

Education is often a normalcy in a lot of people’s lives, including mine, so we don’t often think about how lucky we are. School can also often be viewed as somewhat of a pain with the amount of work needed to get done. However, there are kids out there who can’t attend school due to various reasons and circumstances. I feel lucky and thankful to be given the opportunity to have an education. To me, education is very important as it can help me secure a successful and prosperous life. Furthermore, education helps me understand the world better.

Another thing I’m grateful for (but can also be utterly distracting) is the Internet. Today, we live in a day and age where we can find information online pretty easily or talk to a relative halfway across the planet. The Internet is a valuable source filled with an abundance of information. I can search up current world events or YouTube videos explaining a difficult concept that I couldn’t quite grasp in class. That being said, when reading things off the Internet, take caution as there can be false information. It’s important to differentiate between what is false and what is true. Not everyone in the world has this resource, so it is something that I’m grateful for. The Internet has been so integrated in my life that the thought of living without it is quite jarring.

Lastly, I’m thankful for my parents who work tirelessly to support, not only me, but also my siblings. When you think about it, kids are expensive to raise, and it’s not exactly like parents benefit from it. But at the end of the day, they care, and I think that we should in turn show our gratitude for the ones who brought us into this world and supports us.

All of these opportunities, things that I take granted for, have helped me develop as a person. I get to explore my interests and learn about the world around me. This pandemic was also an opportunity for me to realize problems in our society that I was oblivious to before. It’s important to be thankful for what you were given and to one day, give back.