Giving Thanks - 2010 Edition

For some, it is just another day. For others, it conjures up images of turkey and stuffing and pumpkin pie. It is a time to get together with family and friends. It is a time to give thanks for a bountiful harvest.

And for some, it may even be symbolic of the start of the holiday season, or the coming of Hanukkah, or the impending economic surge of the biggest shopping day in the nation, Black Friday.

Whatever you call it, and whatever meaning you place on it, today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States, a day of festive family traditions. On this day, people give thanks for a plethora of things. And I am no different in this regard.

It can be pretty easy to forget about, or just overlook, all those things that make our world brighter and more vibrant on a daily or moment-to-moment basis. And we all know that it has become far easier to find fault and lay blame than to simply tell someone that they have done a good job or that they bring something special to our world.

I think it is far more important to acknowledge the greatness in our world. If we all did this, I think the world would be a better place to live. I truly believe in being thankful for and appreciate the simple things in life that make our lives more vivid and much more passionate and loving.

So for Thanksgiving 2010, I present to you a list of things for which I am thankful:

I am thankful that I have my health – at least those aspects of my health of which I am aware. I guess we could all have underlying issues of which we are unaware, but let’s put those aside for a moment.

I am thankful that I still have the physical capacity to run, to swim, to cycle, to move about on the planet. For the better part of the past decade, I have run the Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving morning as a subtle reminder of this.

I am thankful for having the opportunity to experience love in my world. Love takes many forms – romantic love, friendship, and all points in between, from family and friends. But suffice it to say that in all of these forms it provides an incomparable beauty to our lives.

I am thankful for all of the amazing people that are a part of my daily existence. If you are reading this now, you know who you are, no public service announcement necessary!

I am thankful for having music in my world, one of the great passions in my life. I am grateful to have revisited the importance of music in my world over the past year. I have been reminded of how amazing it is to play the guitar, to coax notes from it, and to create with it.

I am thankful for having the capacity to write, to create, to be a conduit for the flow of words, ideas, and expression. Whether it is writing a blog post, a poem, or a song, it has all been a gift which I am grateful to have explored over the years, and this year especially.

I am thankful for my career, and the opportunity that I have on a daily basis to have an impact on patients and students, to maybe make someone’s life just a little better. I am grateful to have that opportunity and I cherish it daily.

I am thankful for each and every moment I have on the planet. Sometimes I may look past that, or get distracted and lose sight of it, but when I step back and see the big picture, I am truly appreciative of all those that cross my path and make my world a better place.

I am thankful for peace of mind.

And I am thankful that I can stand here today and proclaim thanks for all of these beautiful things in life.

Photo credit: gi