Kevin Magner’s eighth-grade classes at Sequim Middle School wrote essays around the theme of Thanksgiving. Here are a few of those essays, chosen at random.

Being thankful

Yeah! On Thanksgiving Day we thank God, family and friends for all that they have gifted us with in our life! Without these people, life would not be the same. Two things that Thanksgiving makes me thankful for in my life are as follows. I am thankful for my family who surround me with great love. Also, I am thankful for my wonderful friends who are always there to comfort me when I am in need.

My family is and always will be very important to me. I can’t even imagine life without them. First, whenever I need a hug or just someone to talk to, they are always there ready to listen. It is nice to be able to talk with my mother and father so we can relate to what we have in common. Above all, they provide me with a one-of-a-kind home so I can have shelter and warmth. My family works hard to put food on the table and keep our home and I am thankful for having such a great family and I love them all so much.

Friends are very essential in my life. Together we have many magnificent memories and we will cherish them without end. To begin with, I have known some of my friends for many years and we have created a special bond together with many things in common. Since we have known each other for so long, we will often simultaneously do things, like our minds think alike. Also, my friends always keep me laughing. They can be so funny that it is almost impossible for me to stop laughing sometimes. My friends are always there for me, just like my family, whenever I need them. In return I do the same for them.

This Thanksgiving while we are all gathered around the dinner table with heaping plates of food, I will keep in mind these very important people and thank them all for such a joy that they have gifted me with. While I am eating, I will thank my family for always being there for me and providing me with this fabulous life of mine. I’m proud to have these many friends to laugh with and to have lots of memories with and I sure hope I can be with them for my whole life. Once again, this Thanksgiving I will thank God, friends and family for making my life as bright as the shining sun, inside and out.

Lauren Bell

Reasons I’m thankful

Family, homes, food or friends are some of the many reasons that people on Thanksgiving gather around the dinner table and give thanks for having. So, what am I thankful for? Clearly I have many reasons to be thankful for, although I have two main reasons. One important reason that I’m very grateful is for the wonderful family that I have. Additionally, I’m also thankful to have a home to live in.

I’m extremely thankful for having a family like mine. They are always there to help me when I need them or when I’m going through tough times. For instance, when I’m going through a tough time they are there to help me get through it. Occasionally they just make it better by giving me the we’ll-get-through-this-don’t-worry-about-it look and I know they will help. I don’t know what I would do without them. My family as well, supports me in everything I do. Even when they don’t know about what my project is on, they at least try to help as much as they can. They sometimes just help me by giving me their own ideas or helping me organize information. When I was doing my History Day project, they didn’t know much about the topic therefore they couldn’t help with giving much information. Though, they were a huge help with helping glue things down, organizing, and being creative. My family is like water or food because I need them.

Someplace to live is something I am truly grateful to have. I am thankful to have a home to live in. Knowing that there are people and kids who don’t even have a home that will protect them, that is warm, and wonderful makes me appreciate my home even more. It would be difficult to live outside under bad conditions and horrible weather. I wouldn’t feel safe without a home because I can just imagine what it would be like to stand outside and not have somewhere to go and get under cover if there were a storm or just rain. No where to sleep. No protection. Horrible.

During this Thanksgiving season, I will take the opportunity to appreciate everything I have. I have a family that is wonderful and supports me and helps me. I have a home to live and feel protected by. So while everyone gathers around the dinner table, I’ll be thankful for having these two things.

Melissa Gonzalez

Giving thanks and receiving happiness

When you ask people about their favorite holiday, most of their responses would be Christmas Day, but I prefer Thanksgiving. When this day occurs, family and friends pile up in my dad’s historic holiday house. Laughter and excitement fill the room as we all greet each other once again by giving hugs and handshakes. Later in the day, we all settle down and gather around the huge table. As I take my seat I can’t help but think of the two great golden gifts that always seem to strike me like lightning. Looking about I fill with happiness and joy just seeing all of my friends and family, I can’t imagine a life without them. I am also thankful for, not only the food that my dad has made for us, but the fact that I am sitting at a table with a roof over my head.

I don’t think that I could live without the support or the guidance that my family and friends provide me every day. In my opinion, my family is probably the most important thing in my life today. I am thankful for everything that they have given me and sorry for the times I have been a little out of hand. In some places, family isn’t even in their dictionary.

On TV I have seen children younger than 2 or 3 whose parents have died in a car crash or the mother didn’t even want the baby the day it was born. Those real life stories are the saddest thing in the world. Just envisioning my life without my family puts an empty horrid pocket inside of my heart. My friends are also another important factor in my life along with my family. To me, friends are people which you can hang out with and talk to them about certain things. For a second, I once imagined a life where I had no friends whatsoever. That feeling was extremely depressing. Although even with my friends and family I have "I don’t know what I’m going to do with these people, they are driving me crazy" moments.

Ouch! The scream of my dad accidently cutting himself while carving the turkey made me think of something new. Looking at the table, I saw a massive amount of food that has been blessed to all of us. Then I look up at the ceiling and everything in the room. I realize that I am thankful for the things that I have and even having a roof above my head. In many countries and places around the U.S., families live in shacks and can hardly provide any food for their children. Also they are dying of diseases and illnesses because they can’t afford health care. Over the years I have taken things for granted, which I shouldn’t have, like not saying thank you for the meal that has been prepared for me or just throwing large amounts of wasted food away. Another thing is that I should be thankful for are the things I have, like a cell phone or an iPod or even like a computer. Many people my age don’t have anything like that, so I should be happy with what I have.

I will always love Thanksgiving because it makes me think of all the important things in my life that I should be thankful for. Hearing my family and friends’ laughter and enjoyment puts a warm feeling inside of me. As we gather around the table and say one final prayer, I can’t help but thank God and my family for everything I am blessed with, including this amazing food and a home. Although I love Christmas as well, I think that love is worth way more than presents.

Katie Hedgecock

A time for giving thanks

"What are you thankful for?" I hear that question every year in school the week before Thanksgiving Break. I always have my two reasons ready.

I am grateful for my loving family who always supports me. Also there is a lot of technology, food, and resources that are available that I appreciate.

Even though we may fight constantly and order each other around, I am very thankful for my family. They support and love me through thick and thin and when I need them they are there to help me. Also, all my life my parents have given me their time and love. They love me. They support

me. They help me. It’s very hard to imagine my life with out my

family.

Equally important, we have many technologies and resources that I am very thankful for. Having this much technology is a privilege and I am grateful it’s apart of my life. Food helps nourish my body and keeps me healthy. Without food and nourishment, I would die. Also, many people in other countries don’t have as much resources or technology. When I am having an oh – my – gosh – this – is – a -horrible -day – and – my – world – is – going – to – end type of day, I think about the technology, food, and resources that we have and how lucky I am.

On Thanksgiving Day I always think about things I am thankful for. My family is very important to me and I love them. Also, I am always thankful for how much food and technology that I have on hand every day. When a teacher asks in class, "What are you thankful for?" my answer is always ready.

Mollie Smith

Thanks for being thankful

I do not like sharing what I am thankful for around the table on Thanksgiving although I have no trouble writing about the two most important things in my life. The first thing I am grateful for isn’t a "thing" at all, they are my family. Second, I am thankful for music. Last, I am grateful for all of my friends.

My family is the most important thing in my life, I am extremely thankful for them. The first reason is because of their undivided love for me. My parents always tell me how much they love me and care about me. Next, they make me feel better when I’m down. Say I had a really bad day at school, my mom would reassure me that tomorrow will be better or tell me not to listen to them.

I love music and I am exponentially grateful for it. One reason is because listening to music is what I turn to when I’m bored. When I was on the volleyball bus to Forks, everyone had to be utterly silent so I listened to music until we got there and that passed the time and got rid of my boredom. Also, when I’m trying to sleep, I can’t stand silence. That’s when my listening lasts the least amount of time, because I can go right to sleep.

Lastly, I love all of my friends and there is no doubt that I am grateful for them and I realize this each and every day. Why do they mean so much to me? To start, I can tell them anything. What I’m feeling. What I’m doing. What I’m thinking. I can express to them. Next, they keep me company on the weekends. Weekends, for me, have a "I’m so sick of my own family I need someone new around" feel, I just need to have a friend over.

Thanksgiving is a time for everyone to be simultaneously grateful. I am incredibly thankful for my family, because of their many ways of love. Music is also one of the many things I am grateful for. My friends have so much meaning in my life, I could not live without them. I think Thanksgiving Day is a time to reflect on what you are thankful for, but I don’t like to share it around the table.

Grace Trautman

Giving thanks

Beep. Beep. Beep! Turkey’s done! It smells amazing! It’s Thanksgiving! We gather around the table as the mashed potatoes, cranberries, turkey, pumpkin pie and rolls are placed in front of us, filling the air around us with an aroma of Thanksgiving.

We start to drool with large raindrops pouring onto the plates but contain ourselves because we know that it is a time to celebrate with our family and friends but also and most importantly to give thanks. There are many things in my life that I tend to give thanks for but there are two really important ones. When you give thanks you normally put two hands together and say what you need to say, so what I have to give thanks for I consider my two hands. The first is family and friends because without them I would have no support in my life. The other, and the most significant, each day given to me so I can live my life to the fullest.

In one hand, I have my family and my friends. Family is who you are stuck with, you love them and they help you in your time of needs. Those crazy traditions are one of the many things that this hand provides you with. Not only that but they give you those you-are-so-annoying and I-love-you-so-have-a-good-day looks. In another part of this hand, you have your friends. Friends are the family you get to choose and they will always be by your side making you laugh and cherishing the moments you have together. This hand is made up of wild and sad memories but they truly define your life. "When you look at your life, the greatest happinesses are family happinesses." – Joyce Brothers

In the other hand, I have the days given to me. These days are gifts from up above and I believe that they are super important. I was once told that every morning when you wake up you need to say, "Thank you Lord" because you have not only woken up to a new day but you get to keep living your life. If you think about it, it is the truth. This was the best advice someone could ever give me because I now look back to it every morning when I say thank you. These days are a symbol to me that I need to live my life to the fullest. "You’re alive. Do something. The directive in life, the moral imperative was so uncomplicated. It could be expressed in single words, not complete sentences. It sounded like this: Look. Listen. Choose. Act." – Barbara Hall

Putting my two hands together on Thanksgiving Day really makes me think about the two most important things in my life. In one hand I have my friends and family providing me with sweet smiles and strong support. And in my other hand I have the days given to me so I can live my life to the fullest. So I put my hands together and give thanks as I finish it all up I rejoice because I can now eat the most fabulous meal with my family.

Thanksgiving: Thanksgiving, or Thanksgiving Day, is an annual one-day holiday to give thanks for the things one has at the close of the harvest season. The holiday is celebrated on the third Thursday in November.

Andrea Tjemsland