Thank You

On the occasion of Thanksgiving Day my first inclination is to be cleverly dismissive. It would be such an easy thing to do. God knows, I'm certain the irony of the occasion would not be lost on many.

Still, the more I reflect on the occasion the more I come to understand that it isn't so much the holiday itself which I find objectionable. It's the implied injunction to be thankful. The glibly imperious assertion that on this day one must be thankful!

But then I realize I can often be ungenerous in my judgements, and I find I overstate the case. No one is demanding that I be thankful. Actually, I think myself a little unkind in seeking to attack the impulse of others to give thanks for those things which enrich their lives.

Truth be told, I must admit that even in the midst of my crippled isolation I have good things in my life for which I find myself giving thanks every day. Thus, for me to seek to show a clever contempt toward Thanksgiving Day would be a sort of petty hypocrisy.

I give thanks for the kind attentions of good friends. Without them so many things in this life would be so much more difficult.

I give thanks for the feeling that I have all I need for what I want. It is sadly true that while so many in this world know the true nature of want, there are many who don't realize that a warm home and a full cupboard really are reasons to be thankful.

I give thanks that I can take pleasure in the small joys and the little beauties which fill my world almost every day. It saddens me to realize that many never know the awe and wonder of ordinary things.

It is true that far too many appear to have nothing in their lives for which to be thankful. This world is often a place of fearful anxiety and abject misery. Upon reflection I can find no good reason to attack peoples' wish to give thanks for what little good they do have.

I give thanks for the blessings which Fortune allows.

As for myself, No Thanks for the miseries.