On the Eve of Thanksgiving, Nick Saban Lists What He's Thankful For
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Through all the stresses that life throws everyone's way on a daily basis, it's sometimes easy to focus on what we don't have rather than what we do.
For one day a year, though, thankfulness shifts to the forefront of Americans' minds on Thanksgiving Day. While being thankful should be a mentality that is a daily mindset, it can easily be submerged beneath the muck and mire of stress that work, life and oftentimes relationships can force upon us.
On Wednesday night, Alabama head football coach Nick Saban spoke on what he is thankful for this year during his final regular-season appearance on the Hey Coach radio program. His thankfulness wasn't aimed at physical possessions or other material things, but rather his friends and family.
"Wow — I don't know where to start," Saban said. "I would think the first thing is relationships. You know, I think Miss Terry [Saban], our children, our grandchildren, our family, mom. All the friendships that you have, the relationships that you have, people who care about you — not because you're the coach at Alabama, but because of who you are and what you stand for, what you try to do to help and serve other people.
"I think those are probably the things that I'm most thankful for because really that's where most of the happy/sad comes from, you know? You're happy when those people are happy, you're happy when you can help those people. You're sad when they suffer, so I think that's probably the thing I'm most thankful for."
The holiday season can often add an extra layer of stress to people. With Christmas just around the corner, travel plans, decorations and shopping can lead to overloaded schedules and burnout. However, it's important for everyone to take a moment on Thanksgiving Day to not just enjoy a meal with friends and family, but to also ponder all the good things that life has to offer.
For Saban, those same things that he is grateful for are also what he prays for most.
"It's probably the thing I pray the most for," Saban said. "That those relationships can all — and friends, too — will all be healthy and happy and have great lives."
Over the past several years, a plethora of challenges and previously unforeseen obstacles have been thrown at not just Americans, but the world as a whole. The pandemic, war and economic troubles are just a few of the issues that have many people feeling like they are treading water, just barely clinging on and trying to keep their heads from submerging beneath the waves of stress and despair.
Wherever there is thankfulness, though, hope is also there. It can be easy to get caught up in the swirling maelstrom that is life, but as long as we remember what we are thankful for and focus on the joys of life and the love of our friends and family, the stresses and sorrows seemingly of melt away.
Happy Thanksgiving!
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