It is easy to take the smaller things in life for granted. From having a place to call home to simply being able to have a good dinner, people often forget that these things are rare to families in many cities and other countries.

Living in a place like Coppell, I feel like many teens have forgotten about this fact, and that is something I want to change.

Something basic that people do not realize they are lucky to have, is a place to call home. This is something that most everyone in Coppell has had for their entire lives. Other people have quite the opposite, never having a place they could call home. Moving from one couch to the next at friends houses or even spending the nights in the streets, is not something any of us want to go through. We as a community need to realize how lucky we are to have a roof over our heads every night.

Another thing I feel that students take for granted is our school district. Coppell Independent School District is highly ranked, and we have the privilege of going here and having a good education. While I know we can get frustrated with the rules and teachers, we need to respect the fact that we are getting a really good high school experience.

Lastly, people I think that we often take for granted, is our parents. Seeing as 15 million children live without a father and nearly 5 million live without a mother, most of us are fortunate to have both a mother and a father. You are so lucky if you have both a mother and father, even if they are divorced like mine, you still have both. Many people either have just one or none.

It is easy to understand teens getting mad at their parents, as it is almost like a right of passage to scream, “You just do not understand!” and “It really is not that big of a deal.” at them multiple times a week. But, teens do not have a right to scream “I hate you!” and “I wish you were not my mom/dad!” at them for not buying them the newest iPhone or letting them go hang out with some friends. It might seem like the end of the world to you, but it’s really not.

You are lucky to have parents to even argue with to begin with. Remember that the next time you want to storm out of the room for not getting what you wanted. Never take the people closest to you for granted. They are the reason you are the person you are and you should never forget that. Respect what you have before it is gone.

Respect what you have now before it is all gone. Learn to appreciate where you live, the school you attend and the parents you have, because one day, that could all disappear.