Giving Thanks

 Giving Thanks

Many of us, myself included, view Thanksgiving Day as a time to be with family members, eat too much good food, and watch way too many football games. However, at times we need to remind ourselves what Thanksgiving is all about.

It is a national holiday on which we celebrate our many blessings. Thanksgiving is based on the 1621 celebration in which the Pilgrims of the Plymouth Colony shared a feast with the Wampanoag tribe, who had helped the colonists get through the rugged first winter in the new land ( They had such a good time that the men only watched one football game that day).

On Thanksgiving Day we should remind ourselves of our blessings. Actually, several times a year we need to remember the many good things in our lives.

Watching the nightly news can be a real downer. Evidently, bad news sells better than good news, but sometimes I walk away from the TV set with the feeling that the world is about to end. This is why occasionally I take a day or two from learning about what's happening in our world. It's good therapy for my nerves.

I begin counting my blessings by being thankful for my relationship with God. Of course, one has to reach their own conclusions when it comes to religious beliefs. We can read what happened during the Middle Ages when the Catholic Church used its power to “force” folks to see things the “right” way. You can force someone to say whatever you wish, but you can't truly change what's in their hearts. So I give thanks for my religious convictions and our Constitutional rights to freedom of religion (or freedom from religion, if you desire).

Almost every day I give thanks that my wife is part of my life. From her, I've learned to be more loving, forgiving, and generous. An old country song sums up how I feel about her: “She's close enough to perfect for me.”

My children and grandchildren bring me great joy. My kids have become hardworking and responsible adults, while my three grandchildren, at least from my perspective, are adorable. I feel blessed.

I also feel blessed to have the opportunity to serve my fellow human beings. Thanks to my wife, we've become involved in several volunteer programs. The little secret is that participating in them helps me as much as the people we serve.

Traveling in the United States and abroad has been an enlivening experience. I've learned about several cultures and met many wonderful people along the way. I especially enjoyed visiting Germany and Ireland.

Traveling has given me a variety of culinary experiences. Although I've sampled many delicious foods, I've come to the conclusion that the world's best donuts and pizza are right here in my hometown. This is certainly a blessing. This, of course, is the opinion of my particular taste buds.

I'm particularly thankful for my three siblings and my friends. Life is so much richer when you have folks to love and by whom to be loved. (I avoided ending this last sentence with a preposition so my old language arts teacher wouldn't give me grief).

Having books readily available is a blessing. To paraphrase the late comedian Grouch Marx, outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Of course, inside a dog, it's much too dark to read!

I'm extremely thankful for my educational opportunities. My teachers in our public schools were top flight, while most of the college professors were excellent.

So when you're feeling down, when you think the world is going to heck in a hand-basket, take the time to do what the author of a well-known song instructed us to do-” Count your blessings, name them one by one...” You will be surprised how this practice will change your outlook on life for the better.

I feel great, so I don't want to destroy the mood. Maybe tonight I'll skip the news and watch an old Abbott and Costello movie.