Giving Thanks

How can we be thankful in a year marked by unrest and strife? On the contrary, how can we be anything but grateful?

 

The Editors

This Thanksgiving, we wanted to publish some reflections on gratitude from IFF’s fellows & friends. Check them out below!

 

Katelyn Livorse ’26

Every year, on the day allotted to gratitude, it is hard not to overlook all the things we don’t have or aren’t grateful for, especially student loans for us college students! As I write this, our nation is coming off a particularly controversial election and our allies are locked in seemingly endless wars. We see hardship and misery all around, leaving us wondering how we can find something to be thankful for. 

On the contrary, it is my belief that we the “decadent heirs of the West,” as CheckPoint News former editor-in-chief Isaac Willour put it, have so much to be thankful for that we have been blinded by our fortune. I am thankful to wake up each day without fear. I am thankful for the ability to go Christmas shopping without worrying if I’ll be able to eat because of the money I’ve spent on gifts. Most of all, I’m thankful for the freedom I have that so many do not. 

If I may make a slight addition to Voltaire’s famous phrase “with great power comes great responsibility,” it would be to say that with great privilege comes great responsibility. This Thanksgiving, remember to give thanks for what you have and to be generous in using what you have for the benefit of your neighbor. 

 

Jacob Reese ’26

On this National Day of Thanksgiving, I have much to be thankful for. For good friends at home and on campus who encourage and strengthen me, I am thankful. For insightful and enriching professors under whom I study and for whom I work, I am grateful. Finally, for the opportunity to study “the science of social happiness,” to encounter challenging ideas, and to advance the tenets of faith and freedom, I give thanks.

Even more than these, I am thankful for my family and my faith (and the food coming later today, too). The unceasing support, advice, and care of my family are incomparable blessings on my life, surpassed only by the grace of Christ. Thanks be to God for all he has provided me this past year. “The eyes of all look to you, LORD, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing.”

 

Clarissa Schuller ’26

As the darkness of the world seems to grow year by year, so too can our thankful hearts and adoration for one another. Having gratitude is a daily choice – and an important one. 

This year, I am thankful for my family—not only my family by blood but also my brothers and sisters in Christ. I feel so blessed to have friends who stick closer than a brother to sharpen me, challenge me, and continually show me the love of Christ. I am thankful to have wonderful parents who support me no matter what. 

In addition to my wonderful family and friends, I am thankful for the beautiful earth God has created, for classic literature, iced coffee, music, and education. I feel truly blessed to be at Grove City College, where I have access to so many of my favorite things and opportunities. Choose to have gratitude today. Happy Thanksgiving!

 

Scott Cross ’26

During the month of November, I am often asked what I’m thankful for as Thanksgiving Day approaches.  Although many make grand, sweeping statements of gratitude, I tend to be reminded of “the little things in life.” J. R. R. Tolkien puts it nicely in The Hobbit when he says, “If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world.”

There is so much beauty in the simple comforts that often go unnoticed—the quiet moments of peace, the warmth of a favorite chair and book, the joy of shared conversation and laughter, or the simple existence of family and faith. These small, everyday pleasures bring contentment, grounding, and order even amidst the uncertainty, chaos, and challenges of our world. Although it’s easy to overlook them, it would seem that these “little things” are what truly make life rich and meaningful for us all.

 

Olivia (Whiteman) McGalla ’23, Communications and Events Coordinator at IFF

This Thanksgiving, I am thankful that I have a Creator who paid for my sins in full and still welcomes me home, even when I stray from His path. For a country where I am free to work, live and worship as I please and have the same rights as every other citizen who lives in this country. For a rich community of family and friends who make the holiday seasons extra special and support me throughout the year from near and far. Last but certainly not least, I am incredibly thankful for a loving husband who’s commitment to me is only second to his commitment to God.

 

Dr. Coulter ’91, Professor of Political Science 

There are so many things to be thankful for. One should certainly be thankful for the necessities – health, sustenance, and shelter. Aristotle in his Politics argues that there is a distinction between mere living and living well; living well requires those necessities, but also things which bring meaning and pleasure are also needed for human flourishing.

And so, I’m thankful for art, music, and sport as activities which contribute so significantly to human flourishing. Art can inspire and teach us. I’m grateful to have seen the Sistine Chapel and Caravaggio’s Saint Matthew paintings and lots of other amazing art. Music can bring about a range of emotions in us and help us to consider beauty and other good things. I’m grateful that I’ve been able to hear in my life so much wonderful live music – from marching bands to choral music to orchestras to Bruce Springsteen. Sport is a source of pleasure, and it can be a shared experience with friends. I am grateful that I get to play sports with others and that I get to coach tennis to young people in the Grove City area and I get watch elite athletes who are masters at their craft.

 

READ MORE: What We’re Thankful For (2023)

 

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed are those of the writer alone and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of Grove City College, the Institute for Faith and Freedom, or their affiliates.

Cover Image: Photo by krakenimages on Unsplash (Cropped).