Staff Editorial
Being in this world for 17 years – give or take for all of you reading – means we have learned a lot as humans, teenagers, high schoolers, boys, girls, classmates, sisters, brothers, friends. We have learned so much, in fact, that we feel we couldn’t possibly learn another thing, yet there is always more knowledge to gain. Among the abundance of things we learn every day, within every classroom, within every subject, is the importance of giving thanks.
We know that being thankful for what we have is immensely important. This idea has been drilled into us for as long as we can remember. And yes, we all agree giving thanks is necessary and we all promise to be grateful for what we have and never rot with the Veruca Salt complex. But really, what does it truly mean to be thankful? Why is this idea so ingrained in our heads around the holiday times? How do I know if I’m really being thankful?
Thanksgiving: meant to promote the great joy of offering just like the pilgrims and Native Americans in 1621. Sharing food, laughs, memories and the comfort of knowing you are around those who love you. You may get sidetracked with the thrill of snatching the last TV at Walmart or getting another amazingly awesome sale you absolutely could not live without on Black Friday. The material items – what clouds the meaning of the holidays, allowing you to deviate from the path to give and be grateful.
Gratitude should come not only during the holiday season; it should be folded and intermeshed into the fabric of our lives. You should give thanks every day for the people in your life: someone who held the door for you, helped you with your homework, let you have the bigger half of the cookie, guided you through a rough patch, asked how you were.
People seem to think teenagers have no sense of appreciation for anything. They believe we are so incredibly transfixed with our phones that we have no real sense of the outside world. Well, we’re sorry to say – this is invalid. We teenagers probably have the most to be grateful for, and we can be thankful for the little things, too, like walking out the school doors at 3:15, a shower after a long day, seeing that you do indeed have your parking pass up, knowing that it’s chicken and waffles for lunch, finding out you don’t have math homework, waking up knowing that it’s a Saturday morning, picking out a Christmas tree and picturing how funny it would be if it flew off your car, or driving past the Poulos house and seeing every meticulously placed bulb, blowup and baby’s flushed face as they catch Santa in the window.
Being thankful can mean so many things and lead to an equally great number of actions. We believe it means making the most of every moment. Begin by telling the ones you are spending those moments with that you appreciate them and cherish them. Make it a habit to give more and complain less. Never settle for a lesser version of yourself during a holiday consumed with consumerism.
Nighthawk News staff members are thankful for so much, but especially each and every one of you who takes the time to read our hard work. No matter the reason or circumstance, thank you. We hope during the holidays all of your hearts will grow three sizes and the true meaning of this time will become apparent. In writing each and every story, we hope to give back to all of you – students and teachers – whose unique lives gift us with the opportunity to tell another story.
