Of all the holidays over the calendar year, Thanksgiving is my second favorite right behind the Fourth of July. Its subtlety is its best characteristic. It’s not over-commercialized like Christmas, and the basis of the day is to give thanks and stuff your face until you find yourself in a food induced coma. What’s not to love?
This Thanksgiving was a wee bit different than the past 22 I’ve experienced in my life, as I spent it away from my family and friends at home. Although I didn’t get the chance to eat my mom’s unearthly pumpkin pie and fall in and out of nap time while watching football on the couch with my old man, I did get to spend it with an entirely new family: The Sport Changes Life family. All 23 Victory Scholars were bused up to Belfast to spend a few days together. While there, we had the opportunity to volunteer at a homeless shelter. Seeing the homeless folks happy just to get a warm meal and a blanket made me appreciate the little things even more over those few days. Thanksgiving is a time to step back and soak in all of the good that life has afforded you with and to show gratitude for all of your blessings in life. I was lucky to have the chance to do this with 23 great people.
After our volunteer work, we had a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner and got the chance to celebrate the night. The week was enjoyed by all, and it was a great last hoorah with my fellow Victory Scholars before final exams and Christmas break arrive. They’ll be here before we know it, and unfortunately so will the end of this year. That’s why I’m going to soak in every experience over here while I still can.
