Obligatory Thanksgiving Post

At the end of November, I always anticipate the flow of "what-I'm-thankful-for" Facebook statuses and Tweets. Don't get me wrong, they are great to see and hear, but why do we always wait till November and Thanksgiving time to remember to thank the people we care about and acknowledge the things we are blessed with? I'm guilty of it, too, but my Thanksgiving resolution (we'll start the New Year's resolutions a little early) for the coming year is to remember to be thankful always.

And there's no better time to start than now.

Tomorrow at this time, I will be home with my family... tomorrow could not come sooner. My family is back in Richmond, Virginia. For those of you who did not know - I was born in Kansas, but we moved to Virginia when I was 5. I completed grade school out there and then made the decision to come back to Kansas for college. But that decision means that I am verryyy far from home. I have not seen my parents or my brother since August so saying that I am excited for tomorrow is the understatement of the year.

All that being said - it is apparent that I am thankful for my family. I am thankful for the opportunity to go to such a great school in the great state of Kansas. I am thankful for my friends and their continuing support in everything that I do. I'm thankful for the heat in my apartment when I come inside from the cold! I'm thankful for the many communities that I am a part of that encourage me to grow independently and also alongside them. I am thankful for my teachers - for their willingness to share their knowledge and experiences with me. I am thankful for books.

Of course that's not nearly all of what I am appreciative of in my life. But I am committing right now to remember to be consciously thankful each day of my life - not just at the end of November.

Because there is always, always, always something to be thankful for.

- Annika Wooton

Miss Butler County 2014