Normally when someone says the word "Thanksgiving" it evokes memories of roasted turkey, stuffing, pumpkin pie, football and family get-togethers. But this beloved holiday first began from the blending of two diverse traditions to create one celebratory feast. Looking back at history there is an aspect of appreciation and taking note of how far we've come as a nation, starting just as small colonies and leading up to our great country today. After looking back at our history curiosity struck. What are students here at Southeast Missouri State University thankful for?
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It didn't take long for Southeast student Maria Popp to come up with what she was most thankful for.
"My mom Debra," Popp quickly said. "I call her Deb."
As Maria began her first semester of college in October 2012 she got the news that her mother had been diagnosed with breast cancer.
"When I started college she had a lot of health problems," Popp said. "She was diagnosed with breast cancer. The real scare was like, 'Oh my God, I might lose my best friend' and not just my mom. That made me really thankful to have her here and all the little things she does for me."
Maria not only thinks of her mom as role model and authoritative figure but as a friend.
"She's just my best friend," Popp said. "She's the last person I text and the first person I text when I wake up if she hasn't texted me."
Popp explained that it's the little things that her mom does for her that makes her such an amazing friend and mother.
"She'll do anything for me anytime. Like last week I was really craving Jimmy John's, and I was being really annoying and didn't want to order it and I texted her like, 'Oh I really want some Jimmy John's and 15 minutes later Jimmy John's came because she had called and ordered for me. It's just little things like that."
According to Popp, her mom always focuses on the people around her more than herself.
"Our neighbor right now has Lymphoma, and she has a lot of bad things going on with her health," Popp said. "She can't move from her living room chair, so my mom went over there to check on her and make sure she's OK and she had just been sleeping in this chair this whole time. So my mom ordered a new living room set for her from Ashley's Furniture and she doesn't tell anybody that she does that stuff. She's just always doing nice stuff for others when she could easily do it for herself."
Deb works at Southeast Hospital in the brain and spine wing as a nurse practitioner.
"If my mom wasn't here today I would be in a black hole crying," Popp said. "Anytime anything is going wrong, I'll call my mom and if she doesn't answer I'll call her office phone and leave like seven messages. She's my go-to person whether I have good news or bad news. I look up to her so so much."
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