November is one of my favorite months. There are many reasons, but one of the big ones is probably because it’s my birthday month. I enjoy my birthday, it’s always a reminder to me that a year has passed and I have survived 365 days of what life had to throw at me. I can’t wait for my birthday this year because 2020 has been a doozy.

November has another holiday as well, one that many people celebrate, Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving is the time of year when we are reminded to appreciate and be grateful for what we have. I am grateful for many things in my life, all of the opportunities I have had, a wonderful job that helps pay my bills, a dog that is always happy to see me, food to eat, a warm bed to sleep in, as well as countless other things.

I am grateful for all of these things, and while that is important, it’s also important to be grateful for the people you have. Being able to share experiences and connect emotions with another human being is a beautiful part of life. I think it’s easy for us to take the relationships in our life for granted. Thanksgiving, spending time with loved ones, is always a reminder to me to be thankful for those that are around.

There are many people in my life I am grateful for — my family, friends, and I am grateful to meet, serve, and learn from each one of you. One person who I am exceptionally grateful for this year is my dad. When the pandemic began back in March, I was living at home with my father. I remember how uncertain the world felt. My dad and I spent a lot of time talking and sharing our fears. The uncertainty of the world presented an insurmountable amount of stress to both of us. Looking back I realize the key to how we survived was confiding in one another.

In this way, 2020 has reminded me to be grateful for your loved ones. Be grateful for the people who show up, the people who listen, the people who push you to be better, those who are honest with you, and any others. In life, it’s easy to get distracted or caught up, but when you take away all of life’s little distractions, personal connection, in my opinion, is what life is all about.

I am grateful for the time I spent living with my dad, that time made our relationship stronger. I think time is imperative to building strong lasting relationships. Time is also one of the greatest gifts, and one I think we all often take for granted. We live with the idea that the people will always be there. This simply isn’t true. Each moment with a loved one is a blessing. It may seem like we don’t have much to be grateful for in 2020 but I find that this year has given me a deeper level of gratitude for the time I have with people.

Spending time with people, especially people we enjoy, is an important part of a healthy life. Overall 2020 has taught me to have gratitude for time and people. For me, this means being more present, and more open during interactions with loved ones. Being present can increase the quality of the time you spend with people. I find that taking a breath and centering myself to become present gives me a deeper respect and awareness of time. Appreciating time, taking a breath, and being present, can be important as time only seems to speed up.

With each year time seems to pass by faster and faster. We often forget to take time to breathe. Remember to take time to be grateful for the time you have and the people you spend it with. That’s why every year when November comes up, when I get another birthday, I have gratitude. Gratitude for the year that has passed, and the opportunity for another one. Gratitude for the year of time and the year of opportunities to spend it with good people. Every November, I am reminded of the wonderful year I had, and how lucky I am to have made it through the last year, and how grateful I am that I can begin another.

Breathe, be present, and have gratitude.

—Emily, Admin AIM