We received so many thoughtful replies to our Thankful Contest last year. It made us giddy with excitement about how thankful, gracious and loving our JJ fans are!
And this season, we’d love to hear from you again!
Thanksgiving is the perfect time of year to reflect on all we have to be grateful for. Whether it’s our friends and family, opportunities, experiences, relationships, the joys or challenges of life, or all of the above- there is SO MUCH to be thankful for!
This month, we want to hear your unique stories about who or what you’re thankful for and how you show them gratitude!
HERE’S HOW TO ENTER (this is a two-parter):
First: Tell us who or what you’re grateful for.
Second: Share with us how you show them your gratitude!
The top submissions will have a chance to be published right here on the Jo+Jax blog and one winner will receive a $150 Jo+Jax gift card!
Here are the details:
- Submit by telling your story below in the comments of this blog post
- Submissions must be between 150-450 words.
- Submission deadline is November 20th, 2019.
- Submissions not meeting criteria will not be reviewed.
- By sending in your submission, you are authorizing us to potentially publish your work on the Jo+Jax blog.
Click here to read our favorite entries from last year! http://blog.joandjax.com/and-the-winner-of-the-thankful-contest-is/
Let’s hear what you’re thankful for below!!!
I am great full for my sister. I stand up to her in dance, school, and life. She is so amazingly talented in dance and she always tries so hard. In school she studies and does her work. In life she is such a nice, kind person. I look up to her through all of it. A few months ago when she went to college I was missing her and decided to send her a little gift pack in the mail. That’s how I show my gratitude.
Immediately after I read the topic of this giveaway I didn’t have to think twice of who I am grateful for. I am very grateful for my mother! She does so much for in my daily life and my dance life. She is my number 1 fan and never gives up on me. I feel so grateful to have her as my mother. I wouldn’t be the person I am today if she isn’t my mother. I show her as much gratitude as I can by thanking her and showing her my love.
I decided to choose my friend Emily Dietrich because I truly believe that she changed my life. I meet my friend Emily in the beginning of October last year in student council. We would see each other around twice a week at student council and our friendship blossomed.
I came from a brutal school year with losing friends and getting into pretty bad fights with other friends (just verbal ones). I am thankful that she never is rude to me, back talks me,or ever lets me feel down. She is such an easy-going friend and sometimes helps me put the past aside. I feel as though I am able to tell her anything and she will immediately understand and tries to help make me feel better about the situation that has happened or is happening. If she is having problems with boys or she feels like people aren’t being respective or make lies about her and tell them to her face I always tell her,” Just try and ignore it!.”
I want my friend Emily to be a great person and be treated fairly and I hope she wants that for me also. If she is having any problem she will tell me immediately I will always drop anything I am doing just to try and make sure that we can figure out this problem that had occured and try to fix it. If I had any type of problem I will tell her and if she is not at dance she will also try and help me get through the problem.
I feel as though I show my gratitude to her by showing that I truly care about her and that if she has anything bugging her I will immediately try and help her get through it. I feel like we both show gratitude to each other in many different kinds of ways but we make sure that we still know we are showing it to each other.
I remember one time I had a disagreement with her and I sent her a long message on how a felt and she also sent me a long message on how she felt about the situation. We were able to get through the fight without hurting each others feelings within 30 minutes. This was the first time I had ever done that. I really feel as though she is such an understanding person. I really don’t know what I would do without her because I feel like I can tell her anything and she will totally understand. That is why I chose my best friend Emily Dietrich as the person I am most grateful for.
I’m a mom of a 9 year old dancer. Dance was not my world. I was the girl that played street football with the boys growing up. I learn as I go With my daughter, and having her throw herself in to this world almost 7 years ago has taught not only her what life lived by passion can be, but myself as well. The existence of dance has taught her extremely valuable lessons that she can continue to use throughout her life that sitting at a desk just simply cannot. Respect, love for others (as well as life), confidence, responsibility, and of course passion amongst so much more. Today and every day, I’m grateful for my best friend, my daughter, as well as the existence of dance, the art of the soul. Because of the dance industry, we have experienced so many amazing memories together, and have gained a wonderful dance family that we wouldn’t trade for the world! We are always on our toes, and loving every second of it!
“Through synergy of intellect, artistry and grace came into existence the blessing of a dancer.”
Shah Asad Rizvi
I am great full for my mum who is always taking me to dance and has made my dancing possible. She always encourages me. I show my gratitude to her by trying to be more independent and thanking her. I also never quit because of everything she has done for it makes me try that little bit harder. I love her so much.
I didn’t even have to think twice about who I’m choosing and that person is my sister! 💞 She has always been there for me no matter what, and we have had the best journey of dancing together! At the competitions we put each other’s names in the draw for who was the most helpful backstage for you! Just the other day I had had a fall and I broke my wrist while I was dancing and she immediately rushed to me to make sure I was okay and did what she could to make me feel better and later got me a giant stuffy which was so sweet! 🥰 and In return I want to do what I can to make her happy for how much she has done for me! Which is why I have entered this giveaway 💕 good luck to everyone!🤞💙
I am so thankful for dance. I have been dancing for 8 years and it has truly helped me grow as a person. My whole life revolves around dance and I never realized how much I take it for granted until about 4 weeks ago. I started having severe back pain after classes so I went to the doctor and found I fractured my spine. That means no dance for 8 weeks. To be honest it’s been the worst 8 weeks of my life but it has also given me time to reflect on how much I appreciate dance. Even though I can’t dance, I still go to practice everyday and watch to show my teachers I am thankful for what they do for me. I’ve written all my teachers thank you cards for supporting me during my injury and never giving up on me. So while I heal from my injury, I am looking forward to being able to dance again and never taking it for granted again. <3
Dance has been a part of my life for 12 years. Dance has helped me become who I am and gives me freedom to be able to express all of my emotions and love for the art. It’s what I love to do. Although, without my mom, my experience and love for dance wouldn’t even be existent. I am incredibly grateful for my mom. She is a single mom with 2 kids and 3 dogs! My dad passed away when I was very young so she does her best to be the best mom, dad, and role model for us. She works 60 hours a week, day & night. She pays for all of my things, activities, and academics. She takes me everywhere, teaches me life lessons, supports me, inspires me, and helps me live the best life I can possibly live. She was the one who put me in dance and I’m so glad she did. She has also paid for my yearly tuition, costumes, hotel, conventions, competitions, and food. Whenever I get a chance to dance I think of it as a way to show my mom my appreciation. My dancing reflects my effort from class, reflecting my mom’s effort in what she’s willing to give to me; which is a lot. She always says “It doesn’t matter if you’re the best, it only matters if you DO your best”. I will always live by that. You never know when it’ll be your or your loved one’s last day. So I decide to give it my all, do my best, and make my mom proud every day. She has done so much for me so I’m willing to return at least a minimum of my gratitude to what SHE has given to me.
I choose to be thankful for my friend, Abigail. She portrays courage, gives the best advice, and motivates others around her. Last year, I was dealing with stomach pain and inflammation in my pancreas, and every day was a struggle. Abigail was the friend that carried me through the chaos. Every day at school that I was in pain, she would comfort me by asking how she could help. Abigail would go out of her way to help me, instead of focusing on her own needs. This selflessness that she contains is very appreciated by me, and I am so thankful for her kindness. She poured her love and support into me by motivating me every day to keep fighting and to look forward to brighter days. When I felt like giving up on finding an answer to my pain, she lifted me up through words of support and acts of kindness. She gave a piece of advice that sticks with me to this day, which is to prove to myself that I can face any battle. Through all of the pain, I could count on Abigail every day to bring a smile to my face and motivate me to fight even harder. Being grateful is the least of words to explain my feelings for everything she did for me. Because of the support she gave me, I aim every day to give my love back to her. I show gratitude to her by checking up on her life and giving her advice when she needs it. I give Abigail smiles and hugs when I see her to show the love that I contain for her because of the care she has for me. Because she never gave up on me, I put my heart into caring just as much for her as she did to me. I am very thankful for Abigail and the motivation and love she gave me as I went through a rough patch, and I will continue to show her my appreciation for being a loving and caring friend by influencing her, just as she did me.
Who and what I’m thankful for is going to sound kinda silly to some but I’m thankful for my life and my family. I didn’t have one for the first two years of my life and though I don’t really remember living in the orphanage I know it’s not somewhere I would want to still be. I have the very best brothers and sister anyone can ask for and when I got super sick and had to spend a lot of time having surgeries and hospital stays they all were right with me. They didn’t complain about giving up their sports and stuff to be with me. My mom and dad love us so much and it makes me feel good. I’m healthy now and I’m back to dance. I couldn’t be more thankful for my life. I don’t talk about my disease or want people feeling sorry for me, I’m okay now and many people have it worse than me. I’m sad about the kids still in the orphanage, not about my disease. My only wish is that every kid had a family. I don’t know what I would do without mine.
I am thankful for my dance family, we are preparing for a Christmas show at a church with minimal time and a lot of expectations and everyone is working so so hard and well to make it happen because they know it will impact people and bring family’s together. The team that I’m on is super caring and understanding as I get bleeding noses and sick a lot and they make sure I’m ok and if I have to miss a class they take time out of their own lives to help teach me the missed choreography or keep me updated on any thing that happen or answer any questions I have, I am grateful to have team mates that have each other’s back and make sure no one is feeling left out. The organisation wanted to cancel the Christmas show because they thought it wasn’t important but it’s a show that people come to and experience the love of Jesus and the story through singing, dancing and preaching and people bring friends and family all the time as they know it will be a experience like know other and it might just be a show but everyone come out feeling like family and loved, I’m am thankful for my dance family/team they are awesome.
I’m grateful for my mom because she is always there for me at my dance competitions no matter how good I do! And I’m so thankful on how much she does for me besides dance!! I love you mom!
I am thankful for my dance teachers. They have helped me so much! Not just though dance, they have helped me be humble and accept that I’m not perfect and that it’s okay. I show my gratefulness to them by, trying my hardest and saying thank you. I can’t imagine my life without dance or my teachers!
the thing i am thankful for is dance and the people are my teachers and my mom. dance is an amazing thing and has changed my life so much. i have made so many friends from it and learned a whole lot. dance is my way of expressing myself but also it helps me with my emotions so if i’m stressed i dance or if i’m sad i dance and i show it through that and i feel so much better. i’m so happy that i started dancing. i am thankful for my teachers because they have been there since day one and have helped me along on my journey with dance. they have taught me everything i know. i’ve gotten some great tips on how to improve my technique, flexibility and many other things. i wouldn’t be where i am today without them. and last but not least my mom. she is always there to support me and believes in me. she does so much so that i can dance and has done so many things to make it happen for me and i’m so grateful for that. i wouldn’t be dancing without her.
I am grateful for all my friends and family not only the ones that are close to me but my friends from abroad too. They help me grow in character and mentally as a person. I can show my thanks to them by helping them when they need help even if it’s already a regular thing for me now. I can also give back and give them the amount of gratitude they deserve. Even if I cannot really do this to my friends abroad, I can still be honest to them and support them through any trials they are going though. I am most especially grateful for my younger brother who not only listens to what I say, but also almost never argues with me. I am lucky to have a sibling that I don’t argue with alone, but to have one that listens to me when I speak. I am honestly so grateful for him. I can show how grateful I am by doing what he does for me back to him.
I am highly grateful for my dance teachers because they always push me to be the best person and dancer that I can be and has been an amazing support and influence to me. From just checking in to make sure I’m okay, lending advice when I ask loads of questions, or just cheering me on and correcting me in class, I am always inspired and motivated to work my hardest and fulfill God’s vision for my life in dance. As a dancer of almost 7 years, I truly cherish all of the knowledge that my teachers share whether it be regarding dance or life. In addition, my teachers have made it possible for me to be able to dance by helping me financially and for that, I cannot express how appreciative I am to them. If it weren’t for my teachers I honestly wouldn’t be the dancer I am today and I’m so grateful to them for all they do for me. I show them my gratitude by giving my all in class, thanking them for everything they continue to do for me, and by taking their advice to heart and applying it to my life and dancing.
My name is Ava, and the most important thing that I am thankful for is my family. They mean to world to me. I have my mom, my dad, my younger sister, and my two dogs. We have all been through so much in the past year, and I think that is why they are so important to me. My dad lost his job a year and a half ago, and I wasn’t really sure what was going to happen. A few months later, my mom got an amazing job working at a hospital, and was given an even higher position after that. My mom has helped us so much and I look up to her work ethic and persistence. Now my dad takes care of my sister and I every day and he does whatever we need from him, and I am so thankful for everything he has done for me. My younger sister is the most amazing person ever. She is so fun to be around and she always makes me smile even when I’m mad at her. I don’t know what I would do without her, and my dogs make me laugh every day. I show my family I’m grateful for them by trying to do whatever I can to help them, and by always being there to watch my sister when my parents need it. I also try to tell them how much I am thankful for them as much as I can. I want to try to make them as happy as they have made me.
I am so grateful for my mom and dad for helping me through the good and the bad times. They were always there putting a smile on my face when I was having a bad day. I want to thank my mom especially for helping me with school, teaching me almost everything I know and for running an awesome drama group. I am also super thankful for all my friends, the long standing ones and the new ones I made this year. I’m eternally thankful for all those special memories that we have made together and can’t wait to make more. I am very thankful for my best friend. She has been such an amazing example for me of perseverance. She continues even when she’s got a mountain load of work and manages to get through it all somehow. I can tell her everything that is bothering me and she always has the right answer that will help get through my troubles. I am also very thankful for gymnastics coach who has been super amazing and a role model for me. I joined rhythmic this year and it has been a blast. I’ve enjoyed it so much and I’m so thankful that joined. I’m thankful that I’ve been given an amazing family, awesome friends, and the ability to do things that my childhood self could only have dreamed of doing. So Thank you everyone who is a part of my life. Thank you for making this year truly spectacular.
P.S. I will also be very thankful if I won this gift card 😉
My name is Ava, and the most important thing that I am thankful for is my family. They mean to world to me. I have my mom, my dad, my younger sister, and my two dogs. We have all been through so much in the past year, and I think that is why they are so important to me. My dad lost his job a year and a half ago, and I wasn’t really sure what was going to happen. A few months later, my mom got an amazing job working at a hospital, and was given an even higher position after that. My mom has helped us so much and I look up to her work ethic and persistence. Now my dad takes care of my sister and I every day and he does whatever we need from him, and I am so thankful for everything he has done for me. My younger sister is the most amazing person ever. She is so fun to be around and she always makes me smile even when I’m mad at her. I don’t know what I would do without her, and my dogs make me laugh every day. I show my family I’m grateful for them by trying to do whatever I can to help them, and by always being there to watch my sister when my parents need it. I also try to tell them how much I am thankful for them as much as I can. I want to try to make them as happy as they have made me.