9. Appreciation | 感謝

Appreciation

3 minute read

Life can get boring sometimes. The repetitive, quotidian routine of waking up, preparing yourself, going to school or work, going back home, trying to handle a long list of responsibilities, and going to bed, is numbing. It strips away the meaning from what we do, and instead, we do these things every day because we have always done them, or because we feel like we have to do them. In the process, however, we may become so focused on doing things for the sake of doing things that we forget to enjoy life a little, and appreciate what we have.

Appreciation, in short, is the ability to fully perceive the value of something. A warm meal constitutes nourishment, and a comfortable bed leaves you well rested. Almost everything in our life holds some inherent value, even things as basic as toilet paper and ink. But I think we tend to forget the value of things, and we miss out on so much enjoyment in life.

Why?

My birthday (May 12) was last week. It felt like any other day, outside of a few of my friends and one of my teachers telling me, "Happy birthday". There was no birthday party, and I received few presents on that day. (We had a party on May 16th instead, when there was no school, and it was so much more than I could've asked for.) The only thing I had to look forward to was studying for my AP Exams, which unfortunately is a consequence of having a birthday in early to mid May.

After dinner, while I was practicing the AP Lang synthesis essay, my sisters called me downstairs. My brother played "Happy Birthday" on the piano, and I walked over to the dinner table to see a handful of presents, as well as a small chocolate lava cake. As I sat down, my family sang for me, and I felt paralyzed. A little voice nagging in the back of my brain told me, "This is barely anything. This is your birthday, you could have so much more than this. Your friends probably have tons of presents on their birthdays, and what do you have?"

I tried to silence that voice. The gifts my family gave me, even though they weren't huge or expensive, they had sentimental value. The gifts felt personal, and that made their worth increase by so much for me. The lava cake was... delicious. It wasn't too sweet, and I didn't feel sick after five bites. The molten chocolate inside was rich, and combined with the fluffy cake, tasted heavenly. And a realization hit me: Instead of wishing for more, I could enjoy what I have more. Not everyone gets a rich, flavorful cake and the privilege to share with siblings you care about and love. Not everyone gets to celebrate a special occasion with a family that takes care of you. Not everyone gets to live long enough to experience their teenage years.

How?

In all honesty, I don't think this is such a serious matter. Obviously, it would be wonderful—and hedonistic in a way—to try to appreciate what you already have. We often forget to count our blessings, and we count our afflictions and annoyances instead. In an age where people, especially teens and young adults, are becoming more miserable, it can be extremely valuable to show a bit more appreciation, not only to the things you have, but the people you're close to. Write it down in a journal, or take a few moments to show your appreciation. It really helps.

Instead of constantly striving for more, maybe we can take a step back, and, just for a moment, appreciate what we already have, what we have been blessed to obtain. 

Life Update!

AP exams are over. The majority of my academic burden over the past few weeks has been lifted. It feels like I can finally take a break, although I can't really, because the summer is rapidly approaching, as well as the ARML. However, this week was quite an eventful one. My birthday, as well as the birthday party, as mentioned above, were extremely fun. Playing bowling and laser tag with my friends was enjoyable, even though I suck at both. I also decided to join the HCSSiM Discord server, and everyone seems amazing. Shripriya, Elaine, Luca, Sylvan, and anyone else I'm forgetting to mention, if you're reading this, I look forward to meeting you all during the summer!