I am thankful for waking up to another day on our beautiful planet. With all of its problems, it is still a place of great beauty and wonder.
I am thankful for the material comforts I have. I woke up this morning in a warm bed, in a comfortable house where the rood doesn't leak and the walls keep the wind out. Even in my modest digs, I enjoy comforts and conveniences that kings and emperors of days gone by would have envied. In gratitude, I hope to be a better steward of these things in days to come.
I am thankful for the promise of good food, which I can easily afford and enjoy. Far too many around the world do not have that privilege. Today my kitchen will be full of good smells and pleasant sights -- I want to appreciate all of them, and to be more mindful of my responsibility to share with those in need.
I am thankful for my pets of past and present, who have given me much pleasure and companionship without asking anything in return except a little food, a warm place to sleep, and a scratch behind the ears every now and then.
I am thankful for the love of horses and the ways in which it has enriched my life. Even if I never get that pony for Christmas, I have enjoyed the beauty and splendor of these magnificent animals and the privilege of sharing that enjoyment with others who share the same passion.
I am thankful for my job. I don't always enjoy it, but in these difficult times, the aggravations get put into perspective.
I am thankful to still live in a country that more people want to come to than to leave. With all of its flaws and problems, this is still a country of vast and wonderful opportunity.
I am thankful for those who have chosen to spend their lives in service to others, whether in their careers or as volunteers. Health care professionals, teachers, ministers, police officers, firefighters, missionaries, veterinarians, and the countless volunteers that keep charities from the Red Cross to Habitat for Humanity running each do their part to make the world a little better. I am grateful for their labors, and grateful that in this country, we have so many opportunities to serve and to get involved even in small ways.
I am thankful for my brothers and sisters in military service, past and present. Regardless of the decisions and machinations of politicians, the vast majority have served with honor under conditions that have not always been easy or appreciated. Their sacrifices have enabled others to continue to enjoy the benefits of freedom.
I am thankful for my friends and for the many people who have done me kindnesses throughout my life. Whether near at hand or far away, they have all enriched my life and continue to do so. And I am thankful for on-line communities like this one, which have given me many hours of pleasure in sharing knowledge and opinions.
I am thankful for my family. After over 23 years of marriage, I am more in love with my husband than ever, and our love has been enriched and multiplied in our children and in our extended family. None of us are perfect by any means, and sometimes we get on each other's nerves, but there's enough love there to make up for it all. I am grateful for these wonderful relationships, and I want that gratitude to teach me compassion for those who have suffered the loss of love and loved ones.
I am thankful for the gift of language and literacy, for dreams, and for imagination. I am grateful for those others who have shared their gifts with me through books, music, and art, and grateful to be able to pursue my own vision as well. If I never achieve my current dream of getting a fantasy novel published, I will still have had the pleasure of the dream and of the process of writing itself.
And, finally, I am thankful to have Someone to offer thanks to, for gratitude requires a recipient to be complete. I don't always understand the way He does things, but I do understand one thing: He loved me enough to die for me. That's a gift I can never repay, except by taking that love and passing it on to others. It is in giving and loving that I can best express my gratitude -- I'm a long, long way from perfect in that, but someday, thank God, Thanksgiving will live in my heart and in my life every day.
May all of you have as great blessings as I do to be thankful for, and more. Happy Thanksgiving!
What I am thankful for.....
Moderators: Roguelet, hpkingjr, WaveMaster
What I am thankful for.....
"A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher...You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse." C. S. Lewis
alike.
