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Editorial Note: This article originally appeared in The Weekly Choice on November 27, 2003.
Today is a very special day, set aside from work and other social obligations to spend time with our closest friends and family – laughing and exchanging stories from when we last met, cheering on our favorite football teams and razzing our siblings about their own ill-informed choices, and most importantly of all, consuming more food than many third-world countries combined! It’s a day to realize and express the things that we’re most thankful for, along with our goals and aspirations for the future as well as a few reflections from the past. That’s right, today is a very special day…unless you happen to be a turkey, that is!
Fortunately, I myself am not a turkey, even though I do occasionally play one here in this paper, so instead of debating the rights and ramifications of those delicious animals that will find their way to our dinner tables this afternoon, I thought it might be more fitting here to take just a moment to talk about some of the things that I’m personally thankful for. Some may surprise you, while others you’ll completely understand, and I’m guessing there might be a few that we’ll even agree on – scary thought, eh?
First and foremost, I’m thankful for my own health and that of my family, along with their support and love and all of the delicious cookies that my Mom sends me on a regular basis! I’m also thankful for the safe and full recovery of my father after his recent stroke and look forward to the day when we can once again go kayaking together like we did ever so long ago. I’m thankful, and might I add grateful, that I live in a country where we’re all free to speak our minds and believe what we want to believe, not what we’re told to believe. I’m thankful that I’m surrounded by people who band together when the going gets tough, even though we don’t really even know most of each others’ names.
I’m also thankful for Matt Groening, the creator of The Simpsons and one of my personal heroes – his works have helped me through some of the best and worst times and nobody can make me laugh harder. In addition to the wonderful Thanksgiving dinner that I’ll be enjoying this afternoon, of course, I’m exceptionally thankful for hotdogs and Chinese food, two staple foods that I’m certain my body wouldn’t last long at all without! I’m thankful for the friendships that I’ve already made over the years gone past and for the ones that I may very well make tomorrow. I’m also thankful for the beauty I’ve found in the backwoods of Northern Michigan and, even though I may poke fun at it from time to time, the unique and cozy feel of my hometown of Gaylord, the Alpine Village…
I’m even thankful for the Internet and the countless hours that I’ve spent enriching myself both culturally and leisurely, along with Mooney’s ice cream, sunsets, The Wonderful World of Disney, and even though I don’t watch it very much, championship boxing. I’m thankful for dolphins and manatees and the ability to appreciate the performance of a good, live jazz band, all the while still being a rock ‘n roll fan at heart! I’m thankful that I have an employer who gives me the opportunity to do something that I truly love here each week, and I’m especially thankful for my readers…even the ones who occasionally e-mail me to let me know that I completely missed the point or overlooked their side of the story! I’m thankful for old James Bond movies and thirty years of classic Aerosmith, and really, that’s just the beginning.
We’ve all got our own special little things in our lives that we’re thankful for, from the people and places that we see everyday, to some others that we don’t even think about anymore simply because they’ve become such a common necessity in our lives. Today is a very special day that has been set aside to recognize these things for all that they’re worth, so between all of the football and turkey and homemade pumpkin pie, don’t forget to ask yourself – what are you thankful for?
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