I like to wake up early on the weekends. After a long week, sometimes I’ll reward myself by sleeping in until 9 or 10 a.m. Sleep is refreshing, but excessive amounts are just wasted time.

Sure, my friends poke fun at me sometimes for it, but I love the mornings. Even during the week I’ll wake up earlier than I have to just so I can start the day off right.

Two weekends ago, I decided to take a break from my normal routine and walk to a coffee shop on Smithfield Street for breakfast. The line was long, and the customers in front of me were impatient with the small staff that morning.

One of those staff members in particular gave me a reason to smile that morning. While dealing with groggy and impatient businessmen, the woman hustled back and forth taking care of customers while smiling from ear to ear and greeting everyone as they walked through the doors.

She greeted the customer ahead of me and took his order. Once he paid with his debit card, she asked how he was doing, as she did with each customer before him. He replied with the standard, “Good, how are you?”

As she hustled to pour his coffee and grab his donut, she continued to smile as she answered his courtesy question.

“Well I woke up today, so I have a lot to be thankful for,” she responded.

She has a point.

Her simple reply stuck with me. I’ve borrowed her response a few times since on days that don’t seem like they’re going my way.

We don’t have the promise of tomorrow. All of our simple and petty struggles don’t really matter in the grand scheme of things. Just waking up in the morning is a reason to be thankful.

Every time I set foot on the seventh floor of Lawrence Hall and make my way to the Globe offices, I remind myself how lucky I am. This small college newspaper that prints 1,000 copies once every week for 14 weeks during a semester means so much to me.

I honestly considered transferring during the spring semester of my freshman year. I was involved on campus, but not to the extent where I was satisfied. It’s a long story.

I went back to my Thayer Hall dorm one Thursday night last year after a frustrating day and filled out a transfer application to Kent State.

I researched its broadcasting program, the cost and the whole nine yards. I almost gave up on Point Park.

I decided to sleep on it and didn’t hit send. I was encouraged not long after that to join the Globe’s editorial staff as the sports editor in the fall. One thing led to another and the next thing I knew, I was the sports editor and then the editor-elect a few weeks later.

I didn’t know what I was getting myself into, but I can say how thankful I am for this entire experience. Say what you want about Point Park, but I absolutely love the people here and the city it’s at the heart of.

We’re just getting started here at the Globe. I’m halfway through my term as editor-in-chief and will return in the fall for another semester. When you come back to Point Park in the fall, you’ll notice some subtle changes to the Globe that I’m really excited to premiere.

The fall semester includes some major events, including the opening of the Center for Media Innovation and the 2016 presidential election. Who knows what other stories will pop up during the fall semester?

I do know that I will remind myself every morning when I wake up earlier than I should how lucky I am.

I have a lot to be thankful for. We all do.

The Globe staff is dedicated, supportive and entertaining. I don’t tell them how much they actually mean to me as much as I should.

I struggle to even find the words to describe my appreciation for everyone and anyone that has contributed to the Globe in some capacity this semester.

We tried to do real journalism this semester. That was the biggest promise that was made to me before I came to this school, and it sold me on Point Park more than anything else besides the ability to get involved right away.

Did we miss things? Sure. Did we cover everything I wanted? No. Did we make mistakes? Every week.

As a perfectionist at heart, there’s no worse feeling than opening my email and seeing a complaint or correction request. With every mistake comes a new lesson. Isn’t that the point of college?

Am I satisfied with everything we did this semester? No, of course not. Am I thankful for everyone that was a part of this small college newspaper and proud of what we were able to accomplish over the last 14 weeks? Absolutely.

We tried to write stories that mattered to our readers and that mattered to us. I hope to continue that next semester as we continue to serve the Point Park community.

I don’t know what the future holds. I do know that I will never forget that early morning walk down Smithfield Street.

I do know that I woke up today and have a lot to be thankful for.

Because, why not?