It is officially the holiday season, and of course that means we all have to go home and spend it with our family members who tend to get on our nerves.

I feel like everyone dreads this every year, but I do not. I actually look forward to it.

Thanksgiving is a holiday that should be celebrated with great admiration and gratitude for what we have in our lives.

This year has been a complete roller coaster for me in several aspects.

This is the first full year that I have been in recovery, and it has been great, but of course there have been many challenges.

I also had a lot of drama and trouble with family members, who my close family members and myself finally decided to remove from our lives.

That has not been an easy decision for any of us, and I know it sounds pretty harsh, but sometimes you have to reevaluate your life and decide whether or not it is worth having people in your life.

We decided that they were toxic, they spread lies and hatred and we did not want to have the negativity in our lives anymore.

In the beginning, it was very hard for me. I do not like to argue with family and I hate when there are falling outs with others in the family.

I went through the initial grieving process, and it was sad.

I then realized that I have to worry about myself. If I continue having negative people in my life who do not care about my general well-being, then how am I going to survive in not just life in general but in my recovery?

Needless to say, my close family, consisting of my grandmothers, a couple aunts and uncles, my siblings and my parents will be having a small intimate gathering for Thanksgiving.

Of course, it is sad that we went from having big family gatherings to now a small one, but nevertheless I am grateful.

Last year, I spent Thanksgiving day in rehab.

Although I was lucky to be alive and getting treatment for addiction, it was still hard to be away from family on a holiday.

With that being said, I am extra grateful this year for the fact that I will be able to spend Thanksgiving with my family.

I have a lot to be grateful for in my life, despite some of the big losses I have endured.

I have a family who truly loves me, cares about me and supports me in all my endeavors.

Despite losing close friends this year because of major disagreements, I am still grateful to have the friends that I do have and even new ones. Without them, I do not know what I would do.

I am also especially grateful for my sponsor. No matter what I am feeling or going through, she is always there to answer my texts or phone calls and give me the advice I need.

I know it is hard to go from being here at school on our own to going back home and dealing with family members who tend to nag and get on our nerves, but we should be grateful for them.

Where would we be without them?

Think about those on the streets who have no one to support them and love them the way that our families do.

We are all blessed in one way or another, and we should not take it for granted.

Andrew Paisley is a senior journalism major. He can be reached at 581-2812 or at abpaisley@eiu.edu