Thankful not just today...

Today is Thanksgiving over here in the U.S. It's a day that spurs us to think back over the past year and remember all the things for which we're thankful. While Thanksgiving the "Day" is almost over, I think we all need to remember that today is not the only day in which we should remember to be "thankful."

This year has been very turbulent for a great many people... both in the U.S. as well as the rest of the world. The crumbling housing and financial markets have sent shockwaves through an already fragile economy, with ripples that can be felt worldwide. Violence such as the recent attacks in Mumbai has shattered lives. The passage of Proposition 8 in California and similar referendums in Arizona and Florida have torn apart the stability of many families. For these things, no one can be thankful.

But even amongst these tragedies, there is room for most of us to be thankful. Most of us have been spared being directly affected by the worst that 2008 has tossed at as, and for that we can be thankful, even while we think of those who have been less fortunate. Amongst the darkness there have been rays of light shining forth. While the elections on November 4th were marred by Proposition 8, a brighter light shone forth that day.

In each of our lives we can find something for which to be thankful, something to lift our spirits and encourage us to make the new year a better one than the last.

So, looking back on 2008 and forward to 2009, here are a few of the things for which I'm thankful:

• A stable job in a time of uncertainty.


• A job that I actually enjoy with people I enjoy working with.


• The love of my partner, family, and friends.


• A house when so many are finding theirs in danger.


• The joy brought into my life by the adoption of my two newest cats.


• The memory of many years of love given by my sweetheart kitty Ophelia who passed away last year.


• The continuing joy and love given by my other surviving cat Edison (also a rescue).


• My health.


• The good health of those I love.


• November 4th and the hope for a long overdue change in our country's direction.


• That Vista on my new laptop doesn't suck as badly as I was afraid it would.


• That I get to sleep in tomorrow!


• The presence of Hope which for so long seemed absent.

OK, so they're not all profound, but being thankful for the little things in life is just as important as being thankful for the big things. They're also easier to find. So for all those little things in life and the ability to find them, I'm thankful.