Thankful

To all my Canadian friends, I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend!

Thanksgiving, a day originally meant  to show appreciation for a successful harvest, has become much more than that. To many, it's a time for families to get together, a time for sharing childhood memories, a time for catching up, a time to stuff our bellies to our hearts' content. But I've never really experienced this sort of Thanksgiving, simply because my family isn't that tight-knit. Thanksgiving used to have a bittersweet undertone for me because I always felt a pang of envy when I see my friends have family gatherings. Part of me has always wanted to experience that textbook "Thanksgiving Dinner". But, as I grew up, I gradually learned that that's not all there is to Thanksgiving. Take away the family gatherings, take away the turkey, take away the pumpkin pie...Thanksgiving will still be Thanksgiving: A day to give thanks. Regardless of whether you celebrate it or not, I think it's important to have a holiday that reminds you to look back and reflect on everything you have to be thankful for. Sure, you can argue that you should be appreciative every day, but that's easier said than done. Life gets busy, we take things for granted, we forget to be thankful. I mean, I'm definitely guilty of this. This year has been a crazy one for me, especially with the transition out of undergrad. There are so many people I have to be thankful for, but I fear that I'm not showing it well enough. I'm so thankful to each and every one of my friends, even if we may not have talked in a very long while. Especially after graduating, I've noticed that it's gotten harder and harder to keep in touch with people... I try to stay connected as much as I can, but honestly I don't do a very good job of it. So, even if it might not seem like it, I'm truly thankful for you. Heck, maybe you're just a passerby who happened to come across my blog--but you know what? I'm thankful for you reading up to this point.

To my friends. I'm thankful for crossing paths with you. Whether we're close or not, you have made some sort of impact on my life and I'm thankful for that. I mean, it's the compilation of all the little things that make a person who they are, right?

To my family. Despite the number of times I may complain about family matters, in the end I do have so much to be thankful for. A special thank you goes to my mum. Without her, I know I wouldn't be where I am today. Without her, there are so many things I wouldn't have had the confidence to have done. She's given up so, so unbelievably much for my sister and I. One of the main things driving me to succeed is for me to be able to give back and take care of her. Maybe she'll read this, maybe she won't. But I love you mum. So much more than I could ever express in words or actions. 本当にありがとうございす。

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And well, to end things on a lighter note, I went apple picking!! I've always wanted to go apple picking and I finally had the chance to this year. It was so much fun and I totally recommend you try it if you haven't yet. The one I went to is called Applewood Farm & Winery, located in Stouffville. Thanksgiving is usually the very last week in the apple picking season, but there were still a good amount of apples to pick from. This specific orchard I went to also had pumpkins and a corn maze! Such a great spot for people of all ages :)

Using our handpicked apples, we baked a delicious apple crumble! It was my first attempt at a homemade apple crumble, but I'm proud to say it went pretty well :)



What are you thankful for this year?

Love, Lena

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Photographer: Matthew Tran (ig: @cha.siu)