Gratitude

Every year around Thanksgiving I gather my thoughts and think about what I am grateful for. Perhaps, more importantly, it forces me to think of the things I should be grateful for. Loss of friends and family is inevitable as we age, but more and more my grief is tempered by the time I had with them. I am grateful for that. I am grateful for the teachings my parents imparted to me. We seem to be well liked here as a result of that. We have received gifts from the landowner and oil company people here. Something they didn't have to do. I am grateful for that. My parents also instilled in me a sense of adventure and wonderment. I have traveled and wandered a lot and have been enriched in doing so. I am grateful for that. I sometimes take the love and concern people have for me for granted. That is something I should be more grateful for. I also should be more grateful for the time I've had on this earth and treat each day accordingly. Now a little off script. All of us should be grateful for the wonderful country we live in. Everyone of us should take this time of difficulty and find ways that we can make positive changes to ensure its continued greatness. Grass root movements have fueled change in this country since its inception. Let's be grateful that we have the system in which we can make changes that benefit us all. Happy Thanksgiving!