1. Family
I also am such a family orientated person. I love my home comforts as much as I enjoy going out! But those that know me well, know that I am constantly busy, probably inadvertently putting pressure on myself through all the activities I insist on doing. I don't spend as much time with my family as I used to when I was younger, but this is definitely something I have recognised. I think it is natural to spend less time with your family, as you begin to get older. I am so thankful that I have such a supportive family, I know they will be there for me know matter what and support me through all of my decisions. For this, I am very grateful as I wouldn't have been able to do half the things I have done without their unconditional support and so I love them very, very much.2. Friends
My friends are incredibly important to me. Growing up, I always had friends but never really settled with one group, my circle of friends constantly changed as I grew. But now, I have such a lovely circle, and if you are reading this, you know who you are! I have stayed within the same group now since I was about 16. Unfortunately, one friend moved away after my final year of secondary school, but I hope to see her very soon if she comes down to Nottingham! But my group also gained another friend, as she came from another school to join our college which was lovely. This year hasn't been easy with various aspects of all of our lives, but I am so thankful for how my friends have always been there for me, no matter what. I feel like this year in particular, other friendships have really flourished too. I have and continue to learn so much from all of my friends, as they all have their own little areas of knowledge and expertise. I'm really sad that some of my friends in the year above are going to be leaving to go to University, but I know we will stay in touch and I am so excited for them as they embark on the next chapter of their lives. But, I have so much love for every single one of my friends and they all mean an awful lot to me! (It's so typical of me to be all soppy, oops!)3. Healthcare
I think we all often forget how lucky we are to live in the UK, where we have access to free healthcare. I think more often than not, we take for granted that we can make an appointment at a doctor's surgery or in extremely bad cases, we can go to the hospital and be treated by the most amazing doctors and nurses. They work incredibly hard to provide an excellent health service and I am aware that unfortunately, more often than not, the doctors and nurses that work in our surgeries and hospitals do not get enough recognition. Without them going above and beyond and being so incredibly hardworking, we wouldn't have such an excellent and free health care service. I have used the NHS more times than I can remember, as have many of my family and friends. For this, I am extremely grateful.4. Freedom of speech
I am so thankful that we live in a democracy. I have briefly mentioned this before in one of my articles, but I honestly think that living in a democratic society is such a wonderful thing, that so many people take for granted. We can essentially say what we like, within reason obviously! To be able to vote in referendums, such as the EU referendum, was such an incredible honour for those that can vote. Sadly, I was too young to take part in this referendum. However, recently when I attended an event where MPs debated whether we should vote remain or vote to leave, this really made me realise how incredible it is that we are all entitled to our own opinion which can help grow and hopefully change society for the better.5. Education
I have undoubtedly hated some days of my education, but I think we all have those days, for various reasons! Having said that, I did enjoy my school years immensely. All in all, we are all entitled to have an education. I think this again, is something a lot of us take for granted. In countries within Africa, some children would do anything for an education, and we are almost handed it to us on a plate. I have tried to make the most of my school and college life, as have many other people I know. It is so important, as I know for a fact that I have learnt so many skills, particularly this year during my first year of college. My writing has developed considerably which is just one of the many valuable skills I have learnt, and my education also presented me with some amazing opportunities, which brings me on to my next point...6. Opportunities
I am so grateful for all the opportunities I have been presented with throughout my life. I try to make the most of every opportunity thrown my way, as I know that everything we take part in will impact on our lives in one way or another, whether this is a learning curve or just something incredible we can experience. The first opportunity I am thankful for was to be Head Girl in my final year of school. Not only did I learn some amazing transferable skills, but my organisation and presenting skills flourished. This opportunity not only resulted in the career pathway I would like to go down emerging, but I also gained a friend who I really believe will be a friend for life, as we worked so closely together and have remained the best of friends ever since. I am also incredibly grateful for being given opportunities to write in a local magazine, as well as being a presenter on a local radio station. One thing leads to another, and I am a strong believer of grabbing every opportunity and making the most out of every situation.7. Music
A little bit of a strange one, but music is such a huge part of my life! I literally listen to music every day. I think a lot of people take for granted the power of it. We have access to such a wide variety of music and there is always a track to suit every mood! It may sound odd, but music whether this be listening to it or even writing music has saved so many people, all over the world. Music unites people, as many people meet through music due to sharing similar tastes. My love for music has definitely come from my Dad and I am particularly grateful to him for introducing me to such a variety and teaching me to appreciate both old and new music.8. Kindness
Again, it may be a strange one. I'll keep this one as brief as I can as this post is getting rather long. It's a shame that on the news we are unfortunately seeing more and more terrible stories of awful terrorist attacks. I think it is uplifting when people carry out random acts of kindness, or support each other in achievements when there is unfortunately so much negativity in the world at the moment.9. Food
When I was thinking of different things I am thankful for, I realised that in this day and age, we have more choice of food than ever, thanks to globalisation. We can choose to be vegetarians if we don't agree with eating meat, or become a vegan due to the fantastic range of food available to us. I think this is incredible.10. Social Media
I know I have portrayed social media in a little bit of a negative light but there are huge benefits that come with the usage of social media. Being a writer, I can reach such a wide audience through promoting my work through the likes of Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Snapchat. When I upload a blog post, I can share it on all social media platforms meaning that I can reach hundreds of people. Social media is great to let people have an insight into what you are getting up to. If used correctly, social media is excellent.Thank you for reading this post, I didn't expect it to be this long, so thank you if you stuck it out until the end! Hopefully this post will have made you realise all the things we often take for granted.
With love always,
Emma ♡ x
No comments