Giving Thanks

My favorite holiday is Thanksgiving Day.  It is a time to be together with family and to remember all the people and things for which I am thankful.    I try always to remember my many blessings, but Thanksgiving Day provides me with a special occasion to reflect on my blessings and to express thanks for them.  Thanksgiving Day is more relaxing and less stressful than Christmas Day, and it takes a lot less preparation, even for those who are responsible for preparing the Thanksgiving meal.  

We are currently living through the most difficult and stressful economic climate in my lifetime.   All of us are facing economic uncertainty and insecurity, especially those who are unemployed or retired, those who fear they may soon be unemployed, and those who were looking forward to a retirement that now seems impossible because of their shrinking nest eggs.   It is especially important during these times to keep our lives in perspective.   Accordingly, I would like to share with you the following ten things for which I am especially thankful:  

(1)    My large and growing family, including my wife Ann, my three children and their spouses, my six grandchildren, my brother and two sisters and Ann’s brothers, and all of their families, 17 nieces and nephews (several of whom now have their own children), my cousins and Ann’s cousins and their families, and all others who are part of our extended family. 

(2)    My parents and Ann’s parents, who during their lives provided us with unconditional love, who sacrificed for our benefit and our education, and who taught us many things, including love for God and country, the need to assume individual and personal responsibility for our lives, the importance of working hard and saving for a rainy day, the difference between right and wrong, and the values we share and hope we have passed along to our children. 

(3)    My brother Mike, who died in 2001 at age 48, and Ann’s brother Sam, who died this year at age 58, both of whom enriched our lives during their short lives. 

(4)    My faith, which has become increasingly important to me as I have aged and had more time to think about the true meaning of life. 

(5)    The privilege of being born and of living in the United States of America, the greatest country on earth and a country that, despite its faults, continues to attract many people from other countries who want to live here and continues to retain its most vocal critics who apparently cannot think of anywhere else they would prefer to live. 

(6)    President Bush and our other national leaders and the members of our military, intelligence services and police departments who have protected this country from terrorism since September 11, 2001, despite harsh and unrelenting criticism from many who have benefitted from their efforts, and in the face of continued terrorist attacks throughout other parts of the world. 

(7)    Employers and entrepreneurs who are willing to assume the responsibility and take the risk of starting and managing businesses in order to provide employment and economic opportunities for themselves and others, and all of those who voluntarily share  their time or wealth, or both, to help others.  

(8)    My education and my career, which provided me with intellectual stimulation, a wide variety of interesting and challenging experiences, and an appreciation for the difficulty of managing a successful business, and my many mentors along the way who provided me with the counsel, training, and encouragement.  

(9)    The many friends I have known and enjoyed throughout the years, including those with whom I no longer have contact or have only limited contact, and including many friends from my church who have been part of my life for more than 30 years. 

(10)    My mind, which may not be as sharp as it used to be but which still provides me with the opportunity to grow and learn new things, and my good health, which so far has given me the opportunity to act like I am younger than I am.