I don’t think I say “thank you” enough. 

I’m so unbelievably grateful for all the astonishingly significant people in my life, but sometimes I consider the possibility that I don’t express it enough.

Now, I know sometimes thankfulness is implied, and the point can get across in a version other than actual words. I especially enjoy surprising people with unexpected little gifts or “thank you” cards for something they did for me or for no specific reason at all other than the fact that I hope they feel appreciated. 

I’m thinking ahead to when I write my Countless Thanks story for The Central Trend when Thanksgiving rolls around, and I think that I shouldn’t limit myself to just expressing my gratitude on that day. Though I genuinely cannot wait to write a couple hundred words on all the incredible people in my life that I am unbelievably thankful for, I don’t want to confine my thanks to the one holiday week. 

In the busyness that life brings, it’s becoming more frequent that we often think about caring for ourselves and what is happening in our own hectic lives. I have so much homework, I won’t get to go home until 9 p.m., I don’t feel like studying; everyone’s said it, including me. 

But I think that even the simplest words—“thank you”—can mean more than anyone may realize. 

As much as students sometimes dread school and all the endless assignments it brings, I feel as though, for example, we don’t apprehend how much output our teachers put into their lessons every day. 

They are here to help educate us, and sometimes we don’t take that into consideration as we bring our less-than-thrilled attitude into the classroom—and if students do consider it, we usually don’t actively express our thanks enough. 

Though it is indeed their job, teachers most likely have a passion for what they do and how they influence their students each day, so being recognized for their willingness and patience to teach high schoolers is something I’m sure they appreciate. 

Thank you. Those two words are chocked full of gratitude and gratefulness. 

We don’t go through this life alone; there is a multitude of people here for us, helping us, teaching us, and who want the best for us. 

Expressing gratitude may effectively make the day for someone who needs to hear it, and I also believe that it can make a difference in our own mindsets as well.

Simply being grateful can lead to a happier life, focusing more on the good pieces that deserve to be recognized and pointed out rather than living in a puddle of your own thoughts. 

So, leading up to when the time of Countless Thanks is upon me, I will continue to work on showing more thankfulness toward those around me. 

Thank you to my family for guiding me and helping me along the way, thank you to my friends that make me laugh every day, thank you for the teachers who put in their time to help us learn about topics that will help us in the future, and thank you to all the other meaningful influences in my life.