Next Monday is the Canadian Thanksgiving holiday, while our neighbour to the south doesn’t celebrate Thanksgiving until late next month. So happy early Thanksgiving folks. I hope that all of us are able to spend some quality time with our family and give thanks to the wonderful people and things that we have in our lives. Since it’s Thanksgiving, I want to spend some time to reflect and to be thankful for this great Thanksgiving holiday.
 

This Thanksgiving will the 30th Thanksgiving that I will be celebrating since I arrived in Canada ages ago. As a kid and an immigrant, I didn’t know much about the Thanksgiving holiday. All I knew was, it was one fewer day to be in school and one extra day to play. Even as a young adult, it was just a day that I didn’t need to go to work and still get paid.
 

Somehow, as I became more mature (not getting older, I am only 25, remember?) I started to appreciate the people around me more. I am grateful for the simple things that I have in my life and maybe taking it for granted. Below is a list of things that I am very thankful for and I would like to share with you, my readers. I am thankful for …

A Free Education

From kindergarten to grade 12, anyone living in Canada is entitled to go to school for free. A lot of kids don’t realize that this is a great gift and should take advantage of it. In today’s information age, knowledge is wealth and with wealth, you have choices and the freedom to do what you desire.
 

I must admit that when I was young, I never knew that a free education was such a great gift and I took it for granted. I never tried my best in school. Now that I am a parent, I am determined to show my kids the importance and the value of an education. After all, “the more you learn, the more you’ll earn.” – Warren Buffett

Growing Up In A Low-Income Family

You must think that I am joking about being thankful for growing up in a low-income family. No, I am not. Let me explain. When we first came to Canada, our family didn’t have any money. How did I know this when I was only about ten or eleven? It doesn’t take a genius to figure this out. If the minimum wage is X dollars per hour and your parents are making less than X dollars per hour, your family is not very well off.
 

With that single observation, I realized that earning money is not going to be easy. I understood what it took just to earn a dollar. Because of that background, it had shaped my disciplined mindset and taught me how to be responsible with my money. It taught me to be self-sufficient and to depend on myself and ability to build my own financial success. I don’t think I would be as disciplined with my money if I hadn’t come from a low-income family.

Great Saving Vehicles

I don’t know how many times I have mentioned Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP), Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) and Tax Free Savings Account (TFSA) in my posts. It must have been a lot. And very often. I hope that my readers don’t get annoyed and tired of this.
 

There is a reason and one very important reason why I am mentioning these saving vehicles so often. I love saving money. No, I don’t. Common, are you serious? Who loves saving money for tomorrow when you can spend it today? The real reason is free money.
 

That’s right. It’s free money. That’s what motivates me to save. I love the idea of getting free money when I save or not paying income taxes while I am saving. These factors allowed my money to grow exponentially over time. Without these incentives, I don’t think that I will be saving so diligently. I also want to give thanks to the creators of these wonderful saving vehicles.

Freedom And Capitalism

To actually appreciate your freedom and capitalism, you probably have to experience the restrictions, lack of opportunities and hardship. I have been fortunate enough to have immigrated to Canada at a young age and did not experience many restrictions, lack of opportunity or hardship.
 

I am actually very grateful that I have the freedom and opportunity to achieve any goals that I set for myself. I can go as far and achieve as much as my ability and efforts take me. I don’t think I would be able to achieve the financial success that I had if I was still in my home country.

My Wife

I have mentioned in a previous post that I am not very comfortable expressing my feelings. Well, that still hasn’t changed. However, I am better at it when I put it into words because I have the time to formulate my thoughts. I also don’t have to face the awkwardness of processing another person’s emotion. This is why I don’t express my feelings to others very often. Including my wife.
 

Since I am writing this instead of saying it (I am hoping to score some bonus points for this if you ever read this post babe), I think I am able to express my feelings properly. I just want to let you know that I am very thankful to have such a wonderful wife that understands, supports and loves me for who I am. This includes tolerating my stubbornness, one-tracked mind and sometimes ill-temper. I would not be who I am today without your love.

My Two Cents

Sometimes, there are things or people that we often take for granted. We may not notice it until it’s taken away from us or we lose it. Don’t let that happen to you. For this Thanksgiving, show your appreciation and be grateful to the people you love and appreciate the things you have. Happy Thanksgiving.
 

So, what are you thankful for this Thanksgiving? Is there anything that you have been taking it for granted? Share your thanks.