An Early Thanksgiving Message

"I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

by Skip Cohen

Thanksgiving has always been one of my favorite holidays. Back in the "old days," it was truly a time of family and giving thanks. When my kids were in college, it was a time when everybody was home for the holidays. My folks even came up from Florida a few times.

I remember being disappointed the first year my folks decided the travel was just too much for them. I didn't understand how getting on a plane and coming north was such a big deal. Well, today, as I approach the same age they were when they slowed things down over the holidays, I get it! 

This year, with all the chaos over travel following the government shutdown, I know a lot of you are headed out early, especially if you've been forced to drive. So, I'm doing my Thanksgiving post a few days early, but that doesn't change the sentiment of my appreciation and extreme gratefulness at all your support.

Despite all the garbage the government delivers to our doorsteps every day, Mother Nature's wrath with storms around the country, and an economy that's upside down...we still have so much to be thankful for. For example, we're here, now, and healthy enough to be spending time connecting with friends and family through social media. 

For me, social media, especially Facebook, has made the world a tiny place. It's become the glue that holds us together. I'm in touch with so many friends daily... put social media together with my phone and FaceTime, and the world is at my fingertips.

So, as Sheila and I share our list of the things that we're grateful for, besides our love and support for each other, the appreciation goes farther outward, like the ripples from a stone being tossed in a pond. 

• We're grateful for our friends, especially those who have become family.
• We're thankful for our relatively good health..."relatively" is a word we use more and more as we get older. It takes into account the everyday challenges of aging and knowing there are people with more serious health issues than we're dealing with.
• Then there are the two pups in our life, and although they're six years old, the puppy spirit and energy never slow down. Happiness truly is a warm puppy! (Thank you, Charles Schulz) 
• My gratitude extends to all of you, (especially my wife who's become my muse) who have supported my craziness and obsession as I somehow morphed into a writer. You've followed me, watched my back, and so often been an inspiration. I so appreciate your presence in my life.

Just for fun, I typed into Google "things to be thankful for." This is what AI gave me: You can be grateful for a wide range of things, from necessities like a home and clean water to simple joys like a good cup of coffee or a beautiful sunset. Other areas to consider include your health, relationships with family and friends, personal growth and resilience, and the natural world.  

What's funny is that none of us need AI to figure out what makes our hearts soar, puts a smile on our faces, and puts a unique sparkle in our eyes. Thanksgiving for me is a time when the craziness of the world is upstaged by the happiness and appreciation for simply being alive, here, and resilient.

Wishing everybody a day and week ahead that's filled with memory-making moments. Don't forget to capture a few images when you're together with the people you care about the most; in a few years they'll become your favorite throwbacks! And if you can't be together physically with the people you love the most, remember, everyone is still connected emotionally and there in spirit. Go for those eleven-second hugs with the people most important to you that I always write about.

Happy Sunday...and Happy Thanksgiving week!

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"As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that
the highest appreciation is not to utter the words, but to live by them."
Clavin Coolidge