Thanks

  Happy Thanksgiving. I didn't want to write the usual list of reasons to be thankful. I don't want to write about Pilgrims and Pies. I'm not thinking about all of that. I find myself questioning if the big meal is really giving thanks. It is certainly the symbol of that in America. I recently learned that ten other countries also celebrate "thanksgiving" as a day. Funny how as Americans we never really give that much thought. I guess it is like the fourth of July we like to think of it as an American thing. It is a cultural thing. That's true in every culture when it comes to their traditions and customs. That is what culture is defined as. Today there are many that would challenge our culture, insisting that it is somehow wrong, that history is wrong. Exactly what those folks would embrace I'm not certain. 

 Today I find myself more grateful than thankful. There is a subtle difference between the two. Being grateful centers more on what you have received. I have a lot to be grateful for. It has been the grace of others that made my life more enjoyable. And yes, I can thank them for that while being grateful. Thanksgiving Day is really about being grateful for what was given to you. In the American tradition it began as being grateful to those native peoples that helped them survive. In a show of gratitude, a meal was offered. Other nations celebrate for different reasons, at least one being the lunar cycle marking the growing period. But whatever the reason to celebrate is, whatever custom or tradition established that, it is always a show of gratitude. That gratitude may be towards others or towards a God. The sentiment being something was given, and we are grateful for that gift.

 Being grateful and giving thanks. Two actions closely related but not exactly the same. I'm grateful for what I have received. I give thanks to those that offered that gift. I'm thankful that I can celebrate those gifts. The gift of friendship, of family and good fortune. I'll strive to express my gratitude every day, not just today. It is something we often forget in the passage of time. We offer a quick, thank you, almost as a reflex, and move on. But it is gratitude that warms our hearts and give us hope for the future. Be grateful for what you have. That was an adage I heard often growing up.  “As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words but to live by them.”

—John F. Kennedy  

I'm grateful to one and all that take the time to acknowledge me, to console or cajole. I'm grateful for that. I'm grateful for friendships both old and new. I'm grateful for an honest expression of emotion. I'm grateful for whatever blessings I have received from my God, whether I was aware of them or not. And for everything I am grateful for I say, Thank You.