Tomorrow we will celebrate a special day of food and family that comes once a year. On a day that encourages us to literally give thanks, it’s hard not to appreciate all the amazing gifts this world has provided for us.
The Signpost staff is thankful to have loving families who choose to spend time with us. This is a privilege not everyone receives, and to wake up each day knowing that someone loves us is an incredible feeling. Even better, we get to spend these upcoming holidays surrounded by the people we love.
This time of year more than ever, we are thankful for electricity. The days are shorter and the sky is darker, and the ability to light our homes, schools and cars is an incredible gift. To walk around in warm buildings on our safe campus is such a privilege.
Yet another great gift we have received is this amazing university. It is an incredible gift to be able to attend Weber State University: to be able to participate on campus, to become an educated and informed member of society and to have all the incredible resources offered around campus.
WSU is truly an amazing school, and at such an affordable price we are certainly all lucky to be attending this university. Having the opportunity to earn an education is a gift not everyone can receive, and students are part of the small percent putting in the effort to truly be appreciative of this privilege.
As important as it is to be thankful for what you are given, it is equally important to be thankful for the gift to give freely. This holiday, we should give a little back as well. In so many ways, we can do both at the same time. Being grateful rewards us just as much as being generous.
One of the easiest ways to give back to those around us is to just be kind. Sharing positive energy and encouraging happiness around us is a simple way to express our gratitude for people who care about us. In life, we find people who mean the world to us, people who will drop everything to help you out with a bad day. These genuinely good people are to be valued and appreciated. We should not only be grateful for them, but show them how much they mean to us.
Doing well in school is another way to show our appreciation. When we show that we can make it to class on time, prepared every time, we show our professors that we are truly grateful for their efforts to do the same. As for the professors, teaching students is a great way for them to give back. Every day, we are thankful for our professors who spent years of their lives going through school to have the ability to educate us.
As members of this staff, we are all incredibly appreciative— every day of the year— for all the freedoms afforded to us in America. We live in a country in which we can express and share our thoughts and views on any topic. We can speak up and take a stand on something we don’t agree with. We can run for office, question our government, choose to receive an education and live freely. We can decide where we want to work, who we want to be when we grow up and write about our opinions on hot topics that people might not support. We can express our gratitude for families, education and our rights.
We are students on this campus; we’re here to learn and grow. To truly become well-rounded people, we must begin to think less of ourselves and more of others. The holiday season is a great place to start. We can start with small things like sharing a smile or lending a hand, and move on to acts that require more of us like donating clothes, food and time. When we step out of our shoes and into someone else’s, that is when we grow.
Giving back to people shows we are grateful for what we have. With so many ways to share our appreciation, it is simple to express ourselves every day. Gratitude goes a long way.
