There Are Many Reasons To Be Young And Thankful

January 14, 2023,

You have plenty to be thankful for.

The Holiday Season should be a reminder of that.

Even if you live alone and feel lonely.

You may have plenty of company in that regard.

According to the United States Census Bureau, “The percentage of adults living with a spouse decreased from 52% to 50% over the past decade, according to newly released estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau’s annual America’s Families and Living Arrangements table package.

At the same time, living alone became slightly more common: 37 million (15%) adults age 18 and over lived alone in early 2021, up from 33 million (14%) in 2011.”

So you see, many of us live alone.

If we don’t take time to reflect on what we should be thankful for, challenging thigs can happen.

The team at psychologytoday.com reflects, “If you are single or widowed and in poor health or young and renting in a new community, loneliness is likely to be a highly likely and very awkward fact of life.”

They go on to add that during the holidays, more than any other time of year, a lack of social connection can make us feel different from others. Loneliness can become a starting point for a cascade of mental health problems (like depression) and physical health challenges.

But it doesn’t have to.

Part of the key to not feeling lonely or depressed is reflecting on what you should be thankful for and, if needed, how you can begin to improve your situation.

So, if you are young, that is the first thing you should be thankful for.

For those of us who are older, physically and emotionally, if our life did not turn out as we hoped, it is very hard being older with health issues and struggling to move on from failure.

When you are young, you should typically have a fairly clean slate.

Enjoy this time.

Don’t think about what you don’t have, think about what you do have.

Your youth.

Then think about attraction.

How can you make yourself more attractive?

Get to the gym.

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Are you working out? You really should. When it comes to clothing, people who are in good shape may be considered attractive in almost anything they wear.

Have fun with that.

You have complete control over that. It will make you happier.

Another reason.

If you have family to socialize with, get advice from and lean on during hard times, you are so blessed. Many of those who are single and live alone do not. If you do, you should take a moment and be very thankful for that.

The team at hanleyfoundation.org, a group committed to preventing addiction shared, “Family is important because they can offer support and security coupled with unconditional love; they will always look to see and bring out the best in you even if you cannot see it for yourself. Family is important because they will, for the most part, be the only ones who can really understand you and bring you back to that place of peace.”

How true that is.

Time for some basics.

Are you sheltered this winter?

People are dying from the cold.

If you have a warm residence, mobile home, apartment, condo or home, to keep you warm during the winter, you should be very thankful.

A friend of ours was having some major work done to his car and while waiting away from the shop, walking around, he got stuck in the rain.

It was cold and freezing, no library was nearby and everywhere he went to get some shelter, unless he was buying something, like at a coffee shop, no one wanted him there.

Especially the security guards.

Admittedly, he wasn’t dressed his best. Almost like an unemployed person.

He wondered what it must be like to be homeless during the winter. It has to be awful and frightening.

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People who are homeless are impacted more than most by seasonal changes. From rain impacting where to sleep, to holiday hours closing public spaces, it becomes more difficult to safely shelter.

Another friend who was leaving her gated condo complex was driving by their brick walled dumpster area and saw where a homeless person had taken large card board boxes to create a sleeping space.

She wondered how the person fared when it rained.

The number of homeless people varies from different federal government accounts. In 2014, approximately 1.5 million sheltered homeless people were counted.

In 2018, the Department of Housing and Urban Development estimated roughly 553,000 homeless people in the United States on a given night.

There are groups trying to help.

Meet the good people at Pallet (palletshelter.com).

They educate, “Unsheltered homelessness is a traumatic experience. We prioritize creating private and safe spaces for anyone in this transitional moment and building a community. From private sleeping cabins with lockable doors to on-site resources, our village residents have peace of mind while they rest their heads in a safe space.”

We appreciate that.

More to be thankful about.

If you are not living in a war torn country, you should be extremely happy.

This figure is staggering.

The organization rescue.org shares, “There are now more than 82 million refugees and displaced people around the world. The International Rescue Committee is providing relief to millions in war zones and other countries in crisis; in Europe, where refugees continue to seek safety; and in our 20+ resettlement offices in the United States.”

82 million is staggering.

In those situations, it is often flee or die.

Many countries do not want them which makes their plight even more frightful.

If you are not one of the 82 million, you should be really thankful.

Finally, if you are in a loving relationship, with all of its imperfections, you have warm shelter, hopefully a job, good food to eat and someone you love to share it with, you should be extremely thankful right now.

One day, most of, or, all of that could vanish.

Appreciate it now while you have it.

While you are young.