The Gratitude Attitude

Gratitude is a funny thing. Especially when you don’t really mean it. As a teenager, can you remember how many times you’ve walked down the hallway on Christmas morning. Opened the very first gift that you’ve received. Glared at it for a moment, forced a smile and used the common phrase, “Oh. It’s perfect!”. And what is it? Another one of grandma’s knitted, kitten sweaters four sizes too small. I mean, do you look like a nine year old?

That kind of thing happens to me all the time. Not by my parents or siblings, but by relatives outside of my immediate family. For Christmas a couple years ago, my great grandmother that I see about once a year gave me a gift for both Christmas and Birthday . I was expecting the usual ten or twenty dollar bill. But as soon as the gift was opened, I realized that my great grandmother thought I was a little younger than I was, for inside was a pair of Minnie-Mouse socks the size I would have worn about five years before. The worst part was that she had accidentally left the price tag that had $5 printed big and bold. However, that was nothing compared to the barbie doll, or the fashion designers kit I had received that same year.

My point is that every single time a person is given something that they think is ‘childish’, it makes them feel like their relatives don’t really know them, or understand how old they are. But in doing that, and having those thoughts, we miss out on the really special part of receiving gifts. That is that those aunts, uncles, cousins, in-laws and grandparents are just trying to give you something nice. Not something to remind you that you’re still a minor. Not something to tell you that no one cares about how you feel. Just to tell you that you are loved.

When you are in the awkward stages of High School, and you are starting to figure out who you are, consider that no one really knows what you like or dislike just yet. Yes, you have a personality, and a mind and you do want to receive something that you are actually going to use more than the one time that everyone is watching you. But that doesn’t mean that you should be rude or even just angry about it. Work on that gratitude. Work on that attitude. And keep faking that smile because you know that they love you anyway.

Waiting In Life

Have you ever had to wait for anything? A childhood toy that you had to save up for, or maybe a driver’s license that your parents wouldn’t let you get? Or was it a present waiting under the Christmas tree? Waiting can be hard.

      One person that I always think about when I hear complaints about waiting is my 4-year-old sister, Ellie. For instance, one day my mom had just left our house to run errands when Ellie discovered an eighth of a tomato sitting on our kitchen counter. When she asked me if she could have it, I told her ‘no’ because I was not sure how long it had been sitting there.  I thought that she would forget about it . But she didn’t and was determined to have it.

      During the entire half-hour my mom was gone, my sister probably asked me about fourteen times if she could have the tomato, and my answer every single time was ‘no’. So she waited and waited. Eventually, my mom got back in time to give it to her.

      Waiting for the good things in life isn’t easy, whether it is an eighth of a tomato or something more serious like a job or college acceptance. But it is important because it makes enjoyable things much more enjoyable and disappointing things much more disappointing. Both are really good and healthy life experiences.

      As a homeschooled high school student, you may want to skip out on the wait. For example, you may want to breeze through history class so that you can graduate and become a doctor or a math teacher. Or you might rush into a car dealership and buy the first, shiny Camaro that you see. But if you wait until you are a little older, then it will all be worth it. Growing up will come in its own time. You will be an adult for the rest of your life. Getting to that point is the best part.