Another season to be thankful

For many of us, November ushers in the frenzied start of the holiday season. It’s a time of preparation and mass hysteria for so many … including myself. Just the thought of all the cooking, preparing, shopping, wrapping, and hosting is enough to make me pull the covers over my head and dream of Jan. 2.

Still, Thanksgiving is a good opening act if you ask me (slightly less if you’re hosting). It’s a time when we gather around the table just to be with the people we love — no presents, no pressure, nothing to do but sit there and enjoy each other’s company — and try your best to avoid pulling out your phone, and actually talk.

With all of the horrendous happenings in our world, taking one day to just enjoy each other is a blessing. Most of us, including our children, keep up such a hectic daily pace that the majority of the days can easily become a series of chaotic to-do lists.

Yet the things I am most thankful for are the stark opposite, in fact.

I’m thankful for the times we share our day over a pizza or talk about our frustration, which then turns into a much-needed release and hopefully a smile. I’m thankful for the days when one of us is struggling and the rest of us come together to help and comfort. Life is filled with challenges, but when you have a loving support system, you can get through it all.

I’m thankful for snuggling up with my loving Lab, Django, on cold nights after busy days. I’m thankful for Saturday afternoons with my parents when they joke and laugh and love my kids. I’m thankful each and every night when we all get home and are together again. I’m thankful for the never ending hearty laughs that make our eyes tear when something unexpectedly happens. Those are the memories we will carry with us.

When you think of what fills your heart, it is never going to be the new phone, jewelry, or car. It’s not even going to be the big party or fancy vacation. It’s just not.

Our most special moments lie in the common, everyday occurrences.

Jack Pearson on the popular show, “This Is Us,” played by Milo Ventimiglia, perhaps said it best: “I am thankful for my family. I’m thankful that we’re all safe, and there’s no one in the world that I’d rather be too hot or too cold with.”

Danielle Sullivan is a writer living in New York City. Follow her on Instagram @Deewrite.