Being Thankful

During this time of Thanksgiving in such a volatile year, I thought we might reflect on the things for which we are extremely thankful.

Good Health

We all have been touched by COVID-19 somehow. Even if your health isn’t great, it could be worse and you likely still have some working parts to be thankful for.

Good Friends

Often, it’s the quality of friendships, not the quantity. Especially this year. Virtual/Facetime relationships are still very important and quite often, necessary.

Parents

Even if they’re dysfunctional, they gave you life. I was lucky and have great parents. Love you Mom and Dad for everything.

Children and Grandchildren

Seeing newborn babies for the first time behind porch glass doors will hopefully never have to happen again. I did relish the time spent with our children and the conversations we had and love them very much.

Electricity

Very thankful for a working refrigerator with food that seemed to fly out of it while the kids were home and the electricity to run it.

Money in the Bank

Since this is a financial column, having just a few coins makes you richer than most people on Earth.

Pets

Pets offer one of the best examples of unconditional love.  Personally, our dogs are in the best shape of their lives from all of the family walks.

Having a Home

Although the definition of a home has changed this year, whether you live in an apartment, a mansion, or a tent, having a place to call home is something to be thankful for.

Freedom of Religion/Freedom of Speech

Being able to worship and vote for whomever and however you want is something many people never experience.

Laughter

The one thing that has helped get us through 2020.  You must have a sense of humor. Without laughter, the world would be a sad place.

Safety and Security

Being able to wake up without immense fear frees us up more life.

Kindness of Strangers

We have seen some amazing things that people did in 2020 to help each other. Never take the kindness of a stranger for granted.

Grocery Stores/Instacart

Grocery stores mean we don’t have to spend all of our time getting our own food and Instacart saved us during quarantine.

Restaurants and Small Business

Stay local, be local.

Employment

This changed as well. Even if you don’t like your job, being employed means someone thought you were special enough to hire.

Air Conditioning

Very, very thankful for this. Staying cool on a hot day is something people wouldn’t have dreamed about in past centuries.

A football season and sports

Just so very thankful for these.

People Willing to Teach

Whether it’s your grandmother teaching you to cook or your mechanic showing you how to prevent future problems, be grateful that others are willing to use their time and talents to teach you something new. Please be sure to thank all of your teachers.

Love

The world has been in serious pain lately, but what would it be without the ability to love?

Modern Medicine

Thankful for all first responders and medical staff.  Without advances in modern medicine, many of us wouldn’t be alive.

Vaccines

Hopefully a new one is coming, right? What about all of the others from the past 200 years that have made us all live longer lives. Many of us wouldn’t be alive without today’s vaccinations.

Clean Water and Indoor Plumbing

Not much needs to be said about these.

Armed Forces

To the men and women who serve, thank you. Our lives would likely be very different if we didn’t have protection from the armed forces. Thank you for your service.

Realizing all the things you should be thankful for is the first step to becoming a happier and wealthier person, overall.

Hope you and your families have a wonderful Thanksgiving season.