Life is worth being thankful for

It is the holiday season once again. I love this time of year,  the lights, the laughter, the smells of good food drifting through the house. In my family, Thanksgiving and Christmas practically go hand in hand. We enjoy our turkey dinner with a Christmas tree already glowing in the corner. It’s a time when everyone pauses to reflect on the things we’re thankful for. After all, it’s called Thanksgiving for a reason. We thank God for our families, our friends, the roof over our heads, and the warmth that fills our homes. We express gratitude for the obvious blessings, the ones that make us smile and bring us peace. But I often wonder: do we also feel thankful for the things that are hard?

The messy house, the pile of dishes, the stressful job, the hard exams, we tend to see these as burdens, not blessings. We sigh when the house looks like a storm rolled through. We grumble when work drains our energy or when school pushes us past our comfort zone. But what if we took a step back and looked at those same things through a different lens?

That messy house? It means you have a home, and people who fill it with life. Those hard exams? They’re a sign that you have the opportunity to get an education, something millions around the world only dream of. That stressful job? It reminds you that you’re capable, that your work has value, and that you have a way to provide for yourself and others.

Of course, there are times when these things weigh us down. Life isn’t always tidy or easy. But sometimes the very things that frustrate us are also the proof of how blessed we really are. The noise, the busyness, the exhaustion, they often mean we’re living full, connected, meaningful lives.

As we move through this holiday season, let’s remember to find gratitude not only in the peaceful moments but also in the chaotic ones. Let’s thank God for the calm and the clutter. Because gratitude isn’t just about saying “thank you” when life is good, it’s about recognizing that even the hard, messy parts are evidence of something worth cherishing.

So this Thanksgiving, when you look around at the noise, the dishes, and the to-do lists, take a deep breath. Smile. You are living a life full of things to be thankful for, even the ones that don’t seem like blessings at first glance.