I do not know what it was about this subject, but it just hit me really hard today to write a short post about cherishing the relationships in your life (and I do NOT just mean the romantic ones). Sadly, I feel like relationships are the first thing to slip our mind when we think about what we are thankful for in life. We get in a habit of relying on those relationships because they are constant, so we forget what a blessing they are because in an instant, they can be gone. How crazy is that? You may think that nothing will ever ruin your friendship, your mentorship, etc. but we never know what the future holds. Life happens, people grow up and grow apart, things change and that’s okay! So, I want to be in a constant state of gratitude for the relationships in my life.

I think we take so many relationships for granted, especially family ones, because they seem to always be there and everyone has them, right? No. If you have healthy familial relationships, be so thankful! Some people never get to experience that whether it be because of death, addiction, adoption, etc. Sometimes I start to throw myself a little pity party when I look at some of the relationships my friends have with their siblings and they do not even realize what a blessing it is. I am completely estranged from my brother and while I do not see that changing, I would give anything to be able to have a healthy relationship with my sibling. I mean, when you think about it, it is so cool! You can never create a sibling, no matter how close you are to a friend. It’s a kind of relationship that is so unique and genuine.

When I start feeling pitiful though, I turn it around and think about all of the amazing relationships in my life that maybe others have not had the privilege to enjoy. I have found true, genuine friends who truly support me and build me up in ways I never thought possible. I have formed relationships with teachers who have mentored and encouraged me to be the hardest worker I can be. I have the most loving, hilarious, and passionate fiancé I could ever hope for. I have built up the most incredible support system around me, but sometimes, I take them for granted. I rant to friends knowing they’ll encourage me or I am grumpy towards my fiancé because I know he will love me through it.

I want to make a constant effort to be grateful for each of these relationships. Rather than relying on my friends to be supportive because that’s how friends should be, I want to be in a constant state of gratitude for finding such amazing individuals that treat me way better than I treat myself. I want to be thankful for the “family” I have built rather than focusing on the family I do not have. I just wanted to write this post today in case you’ve fallen into the same rut. There’s no shame in falling into an ungrateful period, we all do it sometimes. The important thing is realizing where you are at and taking action to be thankful for all of the wonderful blessings in your life, especially the people who make every day brighter!

Thanks for taking the time to read today,

-GT