The Things I Never Appreciated Until Life Got Harder
Gratitude isn’t a holiday tradition - it’s a way of seeing the world that changes how you move through it.
Note: We’ve been working nonstop on our house this past week trying to finally get moved in. I don’t think I’ve ever worked this long or this hard in my life - I didn’t even know a day had that many hours. So this letter is coming to you a bit late… sorry for that.
But we moved in yesterday, and things finally slowed down long enough for me to sit at my computer and send this out. Thank you for being patient, and I hope you had a great Thanksgiving and a restful weekend.
I’ve been sitting with a lot of gratitude over the past few days.
And I wanted to take a moment to reflect - not just on what I’m thankful for, but on what Thanksgiving has come to mean as I’ve gotten older.
When you’re a kid, Thanksgiving feels like a ritual.
Your parents tell you to go around the table and say what you’re thankful for, and you scramble to think of something that doesn’t sound cheesy.
And half the time, you just say whatever comes to mind so you can finally eat.
But the older I get, the less Thanksgiving feels like a holiday… and the more it feels like a pause.
A placeholder in a busy life - a reminder to stop, breathe, and notice.
Because life moves fast.
And at 25, I already feel the weight of how much has happened - and how much I never want to take for granted.
The Shift That Comes With Growing Up
My real life - the part where I was fully on my own - began right after high school.
No roadmap. No handrails.
Just me, thrown into the deep end trying to figure things out.
Since then, Thanksgiving has become less about the turkey and more about the perspective.
It’s the one time of year that forces you to see how given everything is.
The breath in your lungs.
The people beside you.
The job you didn’t “deserve.”
The chance you didn’t expect.
The doors that opened.
The doors that closed.
And the kind of person you became because of both.
I don’t say this in a preachy way - I say it because it’s true:
Every version of you was shaped by something you didn’t fully control.
And when you trace it back far enough, you realize all of it was allowed. Every trial. Every blessing. Every moment that grew you.
Gratitude Is Necessary - Especially When Life Hurts
Thankfulness isn’t some once-a-year practice. It’s something you need every day if you want to stay grounded in a world that moves too fast.
And honestly? Some of the things I’m most grateful for are things I once begged God to take away:
The heartbreaks.
The overdrafts.
The medical bills.
The hitting-zero moments.
The funerals.
The setbacks I didn’t see coming.
None of those times felt good. But they changed me.
They made me stronger, more aware, more careful, more compassionate.
And in hindsight, they were necessary.
There’s a quote I read recently that stuck with me:
“You never know what bad luck has saved you from worse luck.”
Hard times don’t feel like protection in the moment. But they often are.
Grateful for the Good, the Hard, and the Quiet Moments
I’m grateful for the people in my life who tell me the truth - even when it hurts.
I’m grateful for parents who show up when I need them.
I’m grateful for friends who lend a hand, or a word, or just presence.
And most of all, I’m grateful for my wife - for being beside me through all of this, encouraging me to take leaps, grow, and become the man I am today.
Her belief in me has carried me through more than she realizes.
And I’m grateful for the small things:
The sunrise on my drive to work.
The sunset on the way home.
A smile from a coworker.
A moment with my wife.
A sky full of stars reminding me I’m still here.
Those moments mean more as you get older. And they should.
Grateful For You
I’m also grateful for you - the person reading this.
Some of you open every newsletter.
Some of you like, comment, share, or send a message.
Some of you became paid subscribers - which honestly blows my mind.
Every time you give your attention to something I write, it means more than you realize.
You’re part of this journey with me.
Part of this community my friend and I are building.
Part of why we keep showing up.
I’m thankful for that.
A Year of Lessons - And More Ahead
2024 and 2025 have both been wild years.
Highs, lows, and everything in between.
But woven through it all is this truth:
Gratitude keeps you grounded when life doesn’t make sense.
Presence keeps you sane when life gets fast.
And I don’t want that to end once Thanksgiving does.
I want to stay present.
I want to stay grateful.
I want to stay aware of what I’ve been given — good and bad.
Because both shape the person I’m becoming.
Some days it’s hard.
Some days gratitude feels impossible.
But if you and I can learn to pause - to breathe - to look for the lesson inside the moment, we’ll be better for it.
We’ll be stronger.
More grounded.
More human.
And more capable of loving the life we’ve been given.
I’m learning that.
And I hope you are too.
- Isaac