We are officially one day away from the ultimate spread of delicious turkey, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, green bean casserole, and more! I am sitting here counting the seconds until I can arrive at my family gathering and start fixing my plate, but it occurred to me that every year I get so excited about the buffet of food that I don’t truly consider the work that goes into the preparation of the meal. From the farmers growing the ingredients to my family members that spend days working to make sure everything is perfect. Actually, it occurred to me that I take for granted all of my blessings on the day that I am technically supposed to be the most thankful.
Due to curiosity, I did some research to see what most people in the United States are thankful for, specifically broken up by state. My guesses were family, friends, and health, but I wanted to see the statistics behind it. Here are some observations of thankfulness by state based on a 2014 survey conducted by MotherJones.com.
- People in Florida were most thankful for “living near the beach”.
- Californians were thankful for “YouTube”.
- Our neighbors in Tennessee were most thankful for “God’s Love”.
- South Dakota natives were thankful for “the ability to laugh”.
- Those who live in New Hampshire felt the most thankful for “Netflix”.
- Both North Carolina and South Carolina were thankful for “Salvation”
- And finally, Kentucky, our home state, was thankful for “work friends”.
Find the full list here.
I was truly shocked to see that some states were most thankful for things such as YouTube and Yoga, but then I also thought about how we have moved to a time in our nation where we have all become more thankful for material things rather than those that are truly meaningful and heartfelt.
I, Special Kayla, am thankful every day for my salvation and my church, my home, my family, the food on my table, the roof over my head, my health, and friends. I would say those are the big ones that most people will agree that they are also thankful for, but what about the other things that get frequently overlooked? Just regarding Thanksgiving, I am thankful for my aunt and uncle who open up their home to allow all of us to spend Thanksgiving there after we lost my Mamaw a few years ago, and my mom who fixes cherry cheesecake every year even though I am the only one who eats it, God allowing us to have another day and year to be with those we love the most, and finally the freedoms we have because of those who fight in our armed forces to protect them.
This blog post is a little bit more “mushy” than others I have posted. Usually, I like to keep it lighthearted and fun for everyone, but on this week of recollection and remembrance, I wanted to truly write about the things that I am so blessed to have in my life, but don’t always think to say “thank you” for.
So I pose the question, what are you thankful for? Whether it be big or small, leave it in the comments and help me spread some thankful vibes. On this wonderful week, let us all sit and truly rejoice on our lives and the blessings that we have.
Until next time.
