The time of year is once again upon us, in which we are inundated with family parties and travel. A time of year fraught with gift-giving and unity. A time of year during which I think it’s easy to get lost in the festiveness of it all and forget to truly give thanks. To actually focus on everything you have in your life to be thankful for. I sat down and really thought about all I have to be thankful for and it was a humbling experience, considering the amount of things I tend to complain about.

I’m thankful to have spent 5 days on Key Biscayne with my oldest friends.

For instance, over the past few years I’ve had the truly wonderful experience of getting to know some absolutely phenomenal people. I’ve made a lot of connections and even some close friends. At Salvation Army, I couldn’t ask for a better group of people to learn with, a better clinician to learn from, or a better patient population to work with.

I’ve had the beautiful blessing of friendships that have spanned 22 years. I have a wonderful apartment in the heart of Chicago and I don’t really want for much of anything. My needs are met and I have a family that cares for me. I’m almost finished with my journey through school and am looking forward to pursuing my dream on a larger scale upon graduation. I could go on and on.

I’m thankful for the city that constantly takes my breath away.

The bottom line is, for me anyway, that I want to truly make this holiday season a season of thankfulness and perspective. An opportunity to strengthen and enhance the interpersonal relationships in my life and a time to spend more time doing the things I’m passionate about. Boards are over. The only thing I have left to do is continually learn and pursue my dreams. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!