Giving Thanks

I hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday. I know I did. I’m very grateful for having had the opportunity to spend it in the mountains with my loving husband. Ah…the Macy’s parade, the lighting of the Christmas trees, the delicious aromas of herb buttered turkey and of course grandma’s stuffing, roasting marshmallows around the dancing fire, the sight of countless stars blinking throughout the indigo sky, the relaxing sounds of acoustical guitar, and excitement of college football buzzing from above the crowded bar…all embraced within the golden glow of the candlelit pine and rustic stone lodge we shared with others. But there is so much more to be grateful for beyond our own immediate lives. In our distractedness, we regularly forget the many angels that work to keep our world together, literally. I’m thinking of all of the good people who put others’ needs before their own, and who can be found in every organization quietly attending to the greater cause. They are the rock upon which this world stands. Believing in abundance and blessings, they share what they have. These are the world’s true leaders, who love to serve more than serve to be loved. They understand that the children of other countries are as precious and deserving of our care and concern as those in our own homeland, and that our economy is interdependent upon fair global exchange and support. Serving as an example to us all, they consistently demonstrate compassion for the empty-hearted who are more needy to win than to love. Full of light, they resist temptation to engage in the fight, and steadfastly prove their goodwill. They are the pioneers of our day, who courageously nudge our understanding into wisdom, and who brave the stormy criticism of those who are afraid they might have to change their ways when their thinking is proven obsolete. They risk everything, but think of it nothing. For all good people of the world who love, let us be abidingly grateful.