Do you feel that?That’s your heart beating.And that funny sound you hear every now and then?That’s the air moving in and out of your lungs; you’re breathing. Be thankful, and don’t stop — it’s what keeps us going.As we approach another holiday season, we have a lot to be thankful for here at UVM. However, some of us, myself included, sometimes need a little reminder of what the things we have to be thankful for are.I hadn’t really given much thought recently as to what I was thankful for, until a few days ago when I was sitting in on a high school class. The teacher beguiled his students when one of them complained about the pains of getting old, by telling them they should be thankful for old age, because not everyone gets to become old.Although I had been spoon fed that phrase for who knows how long, I couldn’t help but think of how true it is and wonder how many people are truly thankful for what they haveSure, many may say “thankfully I don’t have a test today” or “thankfully I have enough meal points to last the rest of the semester,” but do they appreciate the real advantages? There are also those people, like myself, who are just happy they got up in the morning.It’s sometimes hard to see the good in a world full of hate and fear — and sometimes near impossible to be thankful that you live in such a world. But you know what? I’m thankful everyday. Every day the sun rises is another day to change the world, another day to reflect on the few or many things you have and give thanks for having them.So what else do we have to be thankful for around here at UVM?Well, other than being alive – we’re all here. A lot of people don’t get the chance to go to college, and we attend a good one at that. There are those who are even lucky enough to be here on their parents’ buck, and that’s a sweet deal!I may be a biased local Vermonter, but we live in one of the best states in the country: maple syrup, Ben and Jerry’s, great mountains, a killer downtown scene, the lake, huge state parks – do I have to go on?The First Amendment, toilet paper, coffee, great music, good books, awesome helping friends, a loving family, the moon, the stars, the sky. I mean, there’s really so much to be thankful for that I think we sometimes forget that many people would be thankful for just one of the things we take for granted every day.But the holidays aren’t the only time when you should think about the things you are thankful for, because there is so much out there we take for granted. So cheer up.  Be thankful for today, and don’t forget to breathe.