When I first arrived to these new city back in December, determined to make friends in my Masters class, I never thought I’d end up celebrating Thanksgiving, for a number of reasons.
First of all, I didn’t think there would be any Americans in my class. In fact, there are three. Which is great (foreign people, come at me!). Secondly, I wasn’t that sure we’d be friends (my experience had taught me otherwise). And last but not least, I never really saw the point of this certain celebration. I thought it was just another normal day that people chose to stuff themselves with home-made cooking. How wrong was I.
Turns out that the actual ‘I’m grateful for this and that’ part is waaaay more important than the turkey. Even the cooking process is more important than that. We got to our friend’s house and started cooking, all together. I went to the living with one of the girls to prepare the table, and one of the Americans came to us, all happy and emotional, to say “this means a lot to us, it’s so beautiful to see us all in the kitchen, talking and cooking all together”, which really touched me.
After the turkey was (finally) place on the table, next to the rest of food we’d prepared, they three told us it was time to gather around and say why we were grateful for. At first, none of us wanted to do it (expressing our feelings to people we’ve known for two months? Yeah, sure). But they told us that was the tradition, so we actually HAD to do it. And we did.
Never judge a book by its cover, they say. Thanksgiving seems to be all about the food, the drinking, the stuffing, the turkey. But really, it’s all about friends, family, friends that become family in your home away from home. Last Thursday I was grateful for a lot of things. Today, I’m grateful for friends who keep showing me things are never what they seem.
There’s always a moments pause after the bread is broken, the meal is shared, and the toasts are given that lends itself to looking around a house full of family and reflecting.
Cultivating gratitude is a wquick and delicious way to change your life. I’m so thankful for my loved ones, who make this existence an adventure, my opportunities to pursue my passions and live life fully, for all the hard times that taught me how to truly feel joy, and for every time people have surprised me with their incredible goodness.
There is so much magic here…
Sophia Bush
nineteen92 