What Am I Thankful For?

It seems to be a simple enough question, yet so hard to answer at times.

The answers that immediately come to mind are that I am thankful for good health, a good job, happiness, a loving spouse and a caring family.

On deeper reflection, there is so much more to be thankful for on this day of Thanksgiving and all other days of the year.


Besides the obvious things, below is a list of other things I am thankful for:

I am thankful that the Sun rises every day.  There was a time in recent history (1800's) where a massive volcanic eruption (Krakatoa) blocked out the Sun for weeks, causing crops to fail and subsequent starvation of many people.  The Sun rising each day is a frequently overlooked and very important thing to be thankful for.

I am thankful for the abundance of food in America.  Many people in many countries do not have enough to eat. I have felt hunger many times in my life, but cannot imagine starving on a daily basis.

I am thankful for the clean water that runs to my house from a deep well in our back yard. Many people on this Earth do not have clean water and this simple necessity of life is out of reach for so many.

I am thankful that there is a drama-less, at times boring, routine to my daily existence. This helps me to see when there is indeed a true crisis to be addressed.

I am thankful for not being a parent, (hear me out on this one, please). Although I know I would have been a very good one, I find raising animals to be my calling over human parenthood. Anyone who really knows me, knows that my pets and farm animals are treated as my children and I will go the extra miles to make sure they are healthy and happy.

I am thankful that opportunities given to me early in life were acted upon and I had the discipline and patience to see those opportunities blossom into tangible results - personally and professionally. My "overnight success" took decades to accomplish with a lot of blood, sweat and tears in the process.

I am thankful that others do not always like me, are jealous or envious of me and at times have said and have done hateful things to me. These instances have only made me a stronger-willed person and have made me grow a thicker skin.  But, most importantly these negative things have spurred me on to acting upon the things that I am passionate about.

Lastly, I am thankful for having things to be thankful for.  This may sound like circular logic to some. But, in the grand scheme of things, if you have nothing to be thankful for, your time on this Earth is most likely nearing its end.

So, be thankful for everything you have each day - including  being grateful that the Sun rises, water is plentiful, food is available and that you actually have many things (if you look hard enough) to be thankful for.

Happy Holidays to Everyone ... And may all of you continue to have things to be thankful about for many years to come.