Give thanks: It is easy to get mired in the negative. Count your blessings.

It is easy to forget.

We sit in our houses and think about all the reasons we have to be less than satisfied with our lives while bemoaning that no immediate solution is in sight.

We put priorities on meaningless nothings and spend time worrying about circumstances we can't change.

We don't remember just how lucky we are. There is no time with all that complaining going on.

That's the consquence of living in a country that is nothing short of miraculous in its freedoms and its possibilities.

So today is the day we designate to think about all those things that matter -- family, friends and those who have and will continue to touch our lives.

We add in a few thoughts about faith, hope and compassion, and we think about those who have not been as lucky as we have been over the past year.

And while we are thinking of those blessings, we should be thankful, too, for the country that has allowed us to live free, to pursue our dreams and to raise families.

It is truly a gift, this liberty that we enjoy. And it comes with a price tag -- a requirement that we honor it and that we never forget the generations of Americans who have sacrificed their lives to protect it.

It is not a small thing this freedom. It is not something that we should ever take for granted.

And today as you share your time with your family and friends, think of those who are barely scraping by, and those who have no one this holiday season.

Thanksgiving is not really about the turkey.

It is about sharing, compassion and love.

And it is a holiday that should be spent with those precious gifts in mind.

Happy Thanksgiving -- from our families to yours.

Published in Editorials on November 21, 2012 10:15 PM