To you, what is the meaning of thanksgiving? Is it being together with family, or the delicious, warm, fresh, food?

Thanksgiving is a popular holiday for many reasons. One being the food, of course, but also being around family, friends, and for others; football.

When we think of thanksgiving the first thing that comes to mind is food. That delicious turkey or occasional Thanksgiving ham. Those filling potatoes, best when warm enough to feel it going down your throat as you take each bite. The aesthetic of the table setting with more food than anyone could eat.

Besides the food, the warming feel of spending quality with family and friends you may or may not see very often makes the holiday even more special. Those cousins you try to avoid at all cost, that aunt and uncle that never seem to get along, those special people who are part of who you are and where you come from.

Many of us don’t exactly have the perfect family, but when we get together with our families no matter how chaotic and stressful it is, it will always have us place within us. Being with the people who are part of you and represent where you come from, is a wonderful feeling.

I believe the real meaning of Thanksgiving is the people you’re surrounded by. Whether it’s strangers at a restaurant, your big family who half of them you don’t know the names of, your small family who’s closer than most, those people who may not be blood family, but they are the relatives you chose. Everyone’s family is different. Some people don’t have any family.

Some people spend Thanksgiving alone and hungry. I believe that this is why Thanksgiving is such a special, underrated holiday.

Being thankful for all you have, even if you are not thankful very often. This makes Thanksgiving special and meaningful. The world needs more thankfulness, the one day where everyone feels blessed and thankful, is the day of Thanksgiving.

We have so many things that each one of us take for granted.

That winter jacket you just got; someone is sitting outside in the cold. That bag of chips you bought from the vending machine and wasted because you weren’t hungry, someone is not able to afford school lunch and would do anything to eat the chips you had left. Those new winter boots your mom bought you but you would never use, someone is walking around in the ice and snow in worn out, old shoes because it is all they have.

Being thankful also means being grateful. Most of us would not think twice about throwing away some extra chips we have left over, or our nice new winter jacket when we decide we do not like the color of it and never use. These are things we should be more thoughtful on, and I believe that is why Thanksgiving is so important.

Thanksgiving is not about the food, or the football, in turn its about being grateful and thankful for everything you have. Including your family, friends, and the food in front of you,

For this Thanksgiving and Christmas Season, be thankful, be grateful, give back. People would be so lucky to be in your shoes, don’t forget to be thankful you are in the shoes you are in.