Giving thanks: Today, take the time to remember what really matters in life

This hasn't been an easy year to think positive.

There are more people than ever out of work and there are ups and downs all over as businesses and individuals try to handle the sometimes tricky economy.

There are many people who do not know what the future will bring.

So today, as we sit down with our families and friends to enjoy our annual Thanksgiving meal, it might not be as easy to decide if this has been a year for which we should be thankful, or not.

So here's a guide, just to help you navigate this most American of holidays.

Look to your right and left. If there are people there who love you and whom you love back, you have reason to be thankful.

And even if you cannot be with the people you love this holiday season, if you know that they are thinking of you -- and you are thinking of them -- you have reason to be thankful.

Look down your table and take a look at the meal you are about to eat. If there is plenty for everyone (and maybe a few leftovers), you have a reason to be thankful.

Think about your life. Do you have children or grandchildren whose faces light up when you walk into a room? Then you have reason to be thankful.

And if you are the child who cannot wait to see his or her mom and dad or grandma or grandpa, you also have reason to be thankful.

Pick up your phone. If you can call your mom and dad right now and tell that you are thinking of them and you love them, you have reason to be thankful.

And if you have parents who are gone now, but who have taught you how to live a rich and fulfilled life, leaving you with wonderful memories of a special childhood, you have reason to be thankful.

If you have learned lessons about life and survived the hard stuff, then you have reason to be thankful.

If you have already learned to take the time to celebrate the good stuff, then you have even more reason to be thankful.

And if you get a tear in your eye when you see our flag and understand the sacrifices that were made to protect it, you have reason to be thankful.

There will be many people who have special circumstances this year. They will have battled an illness, gotten a second chance on life or made a decision that has changed the course of their life. They have special reason to be thankful.

And so, too, do all those who added a husband or wife or a new son or daughter to their families this holiday season.

And then there are the old stand-bys, being thankful that you have a job, can support your family, have a family and have a roof over your head.

As you remember those reasons to bow your head this Thanksgiving, take the time to remember those who have not been so lucky.

So while there are many reasons to be unsure about this year, and even more concerns about the road ahead, today is the day to remember what should be our priority on not just Thanksgiving, but all year long.

That's right. It is love for which we should be the most thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours from all of us here at The News-Argus.

Published in Editorials on November 25, 2009 6:07 PM