Giving Thanks 2014

Thanksgiving is upon us once again. Thanksgiving always provides us with a day to eat turkey, catch some lovely fall weather (fingers always crossed), and take in another University of Texas football game against some unspecified cross-state rival (Texas Fight Texas Fight Yeah Texas Fight).

None of my family live in Texas. They are all still in Canada, so they celebrated Thanksgiving Day in October, otherwise known as Columbus Day in the United States. I don't mind celebrating two Thanksivings, especially if doing so provides the potential for more turkey.

Thanksgiving Day is followed by Black Friday, a day of retail specials and sales. Ugh. The best part of Black Friday is that it reminds me of a great song by Steely Dan, but I digress.

But with all kidding aside, Thanksgiving is a day to Give Thanks.

This year, I find myself acutely aware of  the meaning behind the holiday. It has, admittedly, been one of my most challenging years on the planet. In retrospect, I definitely see the importance of giving thanks for what we have in the here and now because, frankly, it might not be here tomorrow.

The challenging days of our lives make us who we are. The man that sits here tapping away at another blog post is but a product of his life experiences. As challenging as they may have been, they make me the man that I am. Lincoln once said "there is no failure, only opportunity" and I couldn't agree with him more. I am thankful for the life experiences I have had, be they good or bad, because they have made life vivid, brilliant, and memorable.

Family and friends are the glue that hold it all together. Sometimes I don't see them as often as I would like. I miss them when I don't see them, and I laugh with them when I do.

If I didn't have laughter and the levity contained within, I would be lost. I am thankful for laughter in my world. Without it, I would be ... not laughing. Go ahead, laugh.

In the quieter moments, I am thankful for the capacity to reflect on my world. It has lead me down the avenue of creativity and the boulevard of self expression. If I had never gone there, I wouldn't have ever written my first poem or played my first notes on the guitar.

If you are fortunate, there will come a time when something you have written resonates with someone. With that said, I am thankful for the support and inspiration of each and every reader of this blog. It makes a difference in my world, and I am forever grateful and thankful for it.

So I ask you to do this today, even if  this isn't Thanksgiving in your part of the world. Pause for a moment during your day and reflect. What are you thankful for today?

When you establish this, take another moment and share it with those around you. Make it real. Smile. And truly enjoy Thanksgiving.

Photo credits: abesselink

Related Articles By Allan Besselink

• Write Now! 2014
• Learning From Loss
• The Lenses Of Our Lives