What are you grateful for this Thanksgiving?
Personally, as I grow older, my list extends. Mostly gone are the days of concentrating solely on material items.
A beautiful sunrise is something for which to give thanks.
I’ve developed a greater appreciation for the simpler things in life: a vehicle that runs, shelter, heat and hot water, a few dollars in my pocket, friends and family who have believed in me and supported me, beautiful sunsets and coffee, of course.
Yes, life can certainly pin us up against the wall. All of us experience difficult times at some point in our life–loss of job, death of a family member, relational difficulties, an illness afflicting us or our loved ones or loss of hope.
I’ve learned through some of the darkest moments in life that a light can shine through the tiniest of cracks. If we turn and witness that light, life can become a little less heavy and a bit more promising.
Thanksgiving is that time of the year to give thanks and to look for and welcome that ray of light into our lives.
Today some of you will spend time with family, others might be working, and some will spend the day alone. Regardless of where or who we are with, there is always something to be grateful for.
Consider those among us living in homeless shelters or on our streets, those currently in hospitals who are ill or in nursing homes, those serving our country in the military, or those who will be spending their first holiday season without a loved one near their side.
Maybe you are one of the above people. In the midst of your struggle, pain and heartache, is there something, anything, for which you can give thanks?
As Charles Dickens wrote, “Reflect upon your present blessings–of which every man has many–not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some.”
While the nation and world continually battle evil and confront and deal with fear, let today act as a bulwark against the uncertainties of life.
Give thanks today for the big, and even small blessings of life.
While every day is a gift, today is a special day to recognize and appreciate the blessings in our life.
Take a moment or two this Thanksgiving Day to breathe in a breath of gratitude and thanksgiving.
Bethlehem resident Mark Reccek began reporting in 2010. He is currently a distressed debt reporter for Prospect News, an online publisher of stock market and financial news. He also serves as a web reporter for WFMZ and the Lehigh Valley Press weekly newspapers. A Lehigh Valley native, Mark graduated from Lehigh University with bachelor’s and master’s degrees in political science. He also holds a law degree from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law. He is a veteran of the United States Marine Corps, having served active duty from 1996-2000.
