ALIYA HALL, REPORTER
Even with Thanksgiving’s dark history, the idea of taking a moment of reflection for the blessings in your life is important – no matter what the occasion.
I’m most thankful this year – and always – for my supportive and loving friends and family. Over the years, I have collected people who add light into my life and inspire me to be a better person. I’m grateful to have formed new bonds this year, while strengthening already steady relationships; I am lucky to have them as loved ones.
This year, I am also blessed to have my cat, Benji, enter my life. He may be a noisy curmudgeon, but taking him home from Greenhill was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.
Beyond the anchors I have in my life, I am also thankful for the fleeting presences who made a mark on me. Each person I’ve interviewed or met has helped me see the world through a different lens – and I am thankful to have had that experience with them, especially when they’ve entrusted their story with me.
It also means the world to me that I wake up every day and do what I love. Not everyone gets to have that, and I am incredibly blessed to have the opportunity to write and help share stories for a living.
Lastly, I have to mention how thankful I am for what I have learned about myself in this past year. Thanksgiving 2017 was in the early months of my freelancing, and I am grateful for having the opportunity to grow and for the journey that has led me to here.
Although I am thankful for so many things, like having a place to live and access to food, I really wanted to highlight the people who have made a difference and impact on my life.
