It’s the season of thanks, and what better to celebrate than taking pictures of things I’m thankful for? I am very thankful for almost everything life gave to me, and since I’m not in my high school days yet, I have time to be as happy and carefree as I can be. If I didn’t have all these things, I’m not sure how I’ll be like and what will become of me! Here are 7 photos I took in 7 days that demonstrate what I am thankful for:

A roof over my head:                                                                                                                                                     This house has greeted me since birth, literally! My parents have told me stories about how I was born a couple days after they bought the home. I have many memories there, like the time my sister and I would goof around and break stuff, and the time I spent with friends and family relaxing and watching movies. You know what they say, “There’s no place like home”.

The beauty of mother nature:                                                                                                                                        These beautiful flowers were taken in the Rio Washingtonian Center. To me, plants symbolize life and a new beginning. It’s amazing how mother nature could create not just bright flowers, but many MANY other things as well. I thank mother nature for bringing life to our Earth, despite everything humans do to hurt her.

My instrument of musical ivories:                                                                                                                                 My piano patiently waits in the living room for me to come back and play whatever my heart desires. I can play whatever kind of atmosphere or emotion I want to express! If I feel depressed, I could slowly move my fingers across the lower keys and play in minor (quiet). If I have adrenaline coursing through my veins, waiting to be let go on something, I could hop around key to key, quick paced and in major (loud). I’ve been playing since I was 7 years old, and admittedly I sometimes don’t play out of laziness, but I always come back to my beloved, loyal instrument.

Food on the table:                                                                                                                                                             Who doesn’t like food? No one! That’s why I made a spot to thank the thing that makes me happy, morning, noon, and evening: food. I also consider myself fortunate to have access to food 24/7 because of the lucky and wonderful status I’m in. Even though I may not be rich, I’m happy with what I have and couldn’t have anything better. I do consider people who aren’t as lucky and have little access to food and water. However, their strong and persistent spirits and (for some) seeing nothing is wrong, amazes me (I still donate to charity, don’t worry). Food is a major happiness booster and without it, I wouldn’t be alive, literally and figuratively.

My gorgeous and beautiful sister:                                                                                                                                 My beautiful, older sister (upper left corner in the photo) is one of the things I’m most thankful about. She’s always there for me whenever I need her and passes her experience in life to me, just like a mentor. She cares about my welfare and is willing to protect me from anything. In addition, she always finds a way to make me holler and laugh until my body aches and I happily return the favor by doing the same. We’re like two peas in a pod, not being able to separate form each other for too long. Although she does tease me sometimes and somehow finds a way to get on my nerves, that’s what siblings do. I wouldn’t ever ask for a better sibling in my life.

Modern technology:                                                                                                                                                         This may seem obvious in resemblance to me living in a time like this and ”depending my life on it” to some people, it goes way deeper than that. We all live in a time where technological advancement is at its highest point. We’re using technology to aid us in our daily lives, from getting work done to studying space and the universe beyond. We also use technology to , in a few ways, to protect the environment. Most paper and other things actually don’t end up getting recycled, thus working on assignments on computers produces no paper or waste. Technology also helps us study and receive new information about everything, and therefore advancing us even further into the distant future.  

My amazing and superb parents:                                                                                                                                   And last, but certainly not least, my golden-hearted mother and my jolly, goofy father. Where do I even start? They brought me into this world and gave me everything they could offer: education, extracurricular activities, everything mentioned above (except for mother nature), ice cream (yum), and so SO much more. They taught me many things to help me survive in the world we live in and care about me so much. But the most important thing that they, my other family members, friends, and others gave me isn’t my piano, or my computer. It wasn’t delicious junk food, the chance to travel, or even a home. It was something that made me never ask for more.  It was love.                     

                                                                                                                                                 -Marie Valouiski