Blog #12 – A Time To Give Thanks

By Brenna Cohoon

Similar to last fall, in the spirit of Thanksgiving, I am taking the time to acknowledge the things for which I am thankful.  Although I have already shared a similar piece, my gratitude extends far beyond just one blog post.

As one may guess, this past year has been quite a journey for me.  From last Thanksgiving to this one, I finished up my junior year of high school and began a new school year as a senior.  I have endured many challenges as a runner, teammate, student, friend, sister, daughter, and more.  Despite demanding coursework, navigating the recruiting process, and the rigor of being a year-round high school athlete, I have much to be grateful for.

I am thankful for all of the incredible people who supported me through those trials.  I received so much encouragement that truly helped me keep things in perspective.

More specifically, I am thankful for my coaches and teammates.  The DGS running community has provided more for me than I could have ever imagined.  In looking back at a letter I wrote as a freshman to my senior self, I stated the following:

“All of my friends right now (at least most of them) are all because of being on this team.  My confidence comes from running and being around these people.  I love my teammates and coaches more than I could ever explain!  Not I know who my second family is, that’s for sure.”

I think that speaks for itself.  Those thoughts have only become more and more prominent as the years have progressed.  I am proud to be a Mustang and even prouder of the people I have surrounded myself with because of the cross country and track teams.  I am so very thankful to have those people in my life.

I am also thankful for my friends who are no longer my teammates.  Many of my best friends graduated from Downers South last year and have moved on to do bigger and better things in college.  A lot of distance separates our friend group, considering the closest one goes to school almost five hours away.  We still turn to each other to share exciting moments in life and fight through more difficult times.

I am immensely thankful for my family.  They see me in my most stressful situations and always find a way to make me feel better.  My parents in particular guided me on the path that helped me make my college decision.  They believe in all of my abilities as a person and do whatever they can to foster them.

Finally, I am very thankful for all of the opportunities I have been given in the past year.  

I am grateful for each and every time I got to toe the line and race.  Sure, not every race was what I had hoped it would be, but I am still thankful that those experiences provided me with a chance to learn and grow.

I am thankful for the risk I took in joining our school newspaper, a place where I have gotten to know some awesome people and focus on enriching my writing skills.  I have loved getting to branch out in writing fun pieces that will shape my hopeful future in journalism.

Similarly, I am thankful that I get to write these blogs week after week.  I absolutely love sharing my perspective on races, training, and overall, my mindset in life.

This Thanksgiving, I challenge you to write a small list with just a few things for which you are grateful.  I believe that it is important to recognize these people, experiences, etc. and realize that they all play a powerful role in bringing you to where you are. 

Take a moment to soak it all in and get excited thinking about the possibilities that lie ahead.

Photo Credit: Tim Cohoon