This is the time of year to be thankful. You may be overworked, underpaid, unappreciated at the office, and discouraged from the size of your student loan debt, but that is no reason to fail to be thankful.
Unless you have lost perspective. If that is the case, I am here to help you get it back.
I am here to remind you that most of you live in America where you enjoy civil liberties and are protected by the rule of law. You can live as you wish and love who you choose.
Most of you have good educations and reasons to be hopeful about your futures. Most of you live in safe neighborhoods and possess good health. Most of you have someone in your life who cares about you and wants the best for you.
Those are not small things. And you should not take them for granted.
For those of you, who need more convincing, I suggest that you volunteer some time feeding the hungry and homeless at a shelter — maybe on Thanksgiving Day. See how excited those folks get over a turkey leg and some mashed potatoes. Most of them did not choose those lives. For many of them, circumstances got out of control and those lives just showed up.
We have been given gifts beyond our imaginations, and we must use those gifts to practice charity, understanding and gratitude. Because we can.
So, let’s gather together tomorrow — with friends and families and loved ones. Let’s clasp hands around the dinner table and thank God for our blessings. Let’s pray for the opportunity to make a positive difference in our world and in the lives of others.
That kind of gratitude and expectation of ourselves is what will make us truly happy.
