8 Things Our Members Are Thankful for This Thanksgiving

Who doesn’t love their morning cup of joe? 

Tara, 34, lives in Georgia with her three daughters. She does everything she can to provide a better life for them, working hard as a custodian at a local university. So it makes perfect sense she’s thankful for her caffeine fixes. 

“Coffee’s awesome — I love my coffee,” she said. “And, of course, I love Coca-Cola, as well. I really don’t go a day without Coke and coffee.”

Mara, a 46-year-old mother and disabled veteran in Nebraska, suffers from chronic pain. 

In the past, it wasn’t well treated, a fact that kept her from participating fully in everyday activities. “It was like I was outside looking through the window,” she said, “and watching this amazing life that I have, this amazing family, and not being able to interact.” It was heartbreaking for both her and her loved ones. 

But Mara recently found a new doctor who’s helped get her pain under control, and she couldn’t be happier. “I’m grateful to be alive, really,” she said. “Like, my life is pretty awesome.”

With so many lives and incomes upended by the Covid-19 pandemic, our members who’ve held onto their jobs are bursting with gratitude for their ability to continue putting food on the table. 

“I’ve seen how many people were affected and unable to work, furloughed, all of these things,” said Tierra, a 34-year-old pregnant mother of four in Missouri. “I’m really lucky, being able to work from home and be safe … and help provide for my family.”

Mike, 34, who lives outside Seattle with his wife and daughter, feels the same way. “We find ourselves really fortunate in a time where a lot of people tend to be struggling,” he said. “We’ve been able to keep our jobs and increase our savings.”

Taking a zoomed-out perspective, he said: “My thankfulness is going to be [for] keeping our sense of normalcy; we haven’t had to be without or go without.” (We’d agree: Any degree of normalcy is a pretty big blessing considering the wild ride we’ve all been on!) 

From partners to children, extended family, and friends, all of our Chime members cited their families as a huge source of gratitude. 

Tara was no exception: She pointed to her three daughters as her No. 1 reason for giving thanks. 

“I’m just happy that my kids are growing and happy and healthy,” she said. “If it wasn’t for them, I don’t know where I’d be — they changed my life for the better. They make you feel loved and happy. And they helped me grow up; I matured a lot after I had them.” 

When you’re a parent, finding time for yourself and your hobbies can be really hard. Tierra, for example, misses snuggling up with a good book, saying: “I really, really used to love to read and don’t have the time for it anymore.”

Recently, however, she signed up for an Audible subscription. Now she listens to audiobooks while working at home or walking around the block. 

“To me, there’s nothing like a good book,” she said. “That’s the reason movies never can live up to your expectations: You get to make a movie in your head. So I’m thankful for [Audible] … I’ve been loving it.” (Chime hint: You can also borrow audiobooks from your local library for free!) 

A healthy body and mind is one of those things that’s easy to take for granted — until you or someone you love falls ill. For our members, several of whom have faced challenges with their health in recent months, their recoveries are a major reason to be grateful. 

Tierra’s one of them. Though she said being thankful for her and her family’s health “sounds really cliche,” it certainly doesn’t when you consider her past year: a miscarriage, and then, after getting pregnant again, a bout of Covid. 

“I got terribly sick,” she said. “It attacked my kidneys. My husband had a lot of fluid on his lungs and in his chest. It was really bad. So we’re just really grateful to be healthy and together.” 

Mike, too, finds himself deeply appreciative of his own health. “This last year, I had a lung cancer scare and had to go through a bunch of tests,” he said. “So in terms of personal thankfulness, that’s me: I’m thankful to be here and be healthy. And that’s really as simple as it can be.”

Though health, stability, and family are the main things our members are thankful for, it’s important to remember the small stuff, too. Maybe you appreciate the way your dog greets you at the door; maybe you love the big beautiful tree outside your window. 

For Nicole, a 28-year-old mother of two in Tennessee, that big glowing ball in the sky is what makes her days. “I’m grateful for the sun,” she said. “I know that sounds crazy but … I work from home, and let me tell you, on my breaks, I have to go outside … and take a deep breath to get some fresh air. I’m just thankful to be able to do that.”

Between stimulus checks and the Child Tax Credit, some lucky Chime members found themselves with extra spending money in 2021. One of them was Mara, whose disability check increased, too. 

“We can afford some of the things that used to be out of our reach,” she said. “Something just as simple as being able to subscribe to Disney Plus every month — have a few wants met and not just the needs.” She was also able to join a gym, and buy some artificial nails and hair dye. 

Though Mara spent less than $30 on her mini makeover, she said it made her feel happy and confident. “It gave me a sense of self-worth back,” she said. “Because there was a time when every penny had to go for food or something like that. I just didn’t have anything for myself. And I feel really grateful.”

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday for several reasons: It brings families together, it’s an excuse to eat delicious food, and it reminds us of everything we have to be thankful for. 

But you don’t have to limit those feelings of gratitude to just one day of the year. Keeping a gratitude journal, or even just saying what you’re grateful for at the dinner table each night, can be an extremely powerful practice. 

Here at Chime, we’re grateful for our members each and every day. (And we hope you feel the love.) Thank you so much for being a part of our community. Now go eat some stuffing! 

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