We celebrate another Thanksgiving Day today; one much better than the last two years. A day where we can travel to be, and mingle, with one another unlike the last two years when covid made it impossible. How we cherish the opportunity.

Thanksgiving is celebrated on the last Thursday of November with family and friends. A day of feasting, of turkey-ing, stuffy-ing, gravy-ing, and cranberry-ing. Of apple and pumpkin pies, with the collards, green beans, corns, and sweet potatoes. Of eating and merrymaking. With all these food, we should no doubt be thankful, as well as grateful.

We are thankful when we appreciate what someone has done for, or given, us. Thank the one who prepared the meal, those who helped deliver them, those who did the dishes and cleaned the home.

Gratefulness has to do with appreciating what we have; not being greedy or covetous. Whatever much or little you feast on today, there are some still without. Be grateful for what you have. Invite someone to share your feast with or donate some to the Food Bank or Salvation Army. They will be forever grateful.

Both thankfulness (or thanksgiving) and gratitude should be a lifestyle and not only an annual event. A heart of gratitude is a merry heart. The Bible says that “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: …” (Proverbs 17:22a).

It’s good and healthy to have a heart of gratitude. A grateful heart always receives more.

There are 1,001 things, and more, to be thankful for. What is it for you?

• Are you thankful for your parents? Or family? Teachers? Government workers such as the Postman/woman, Firefighters, Security and Intelligence Officials? Your neighbors? Friends? etc
• Siblings having one another ought to be thankful; forget that you get on each other’s last nerves sometimes. Be grateful that you have someone to share your peeves with.
• Older folks are thankful for good health, waking up every day, and not in and out of hospitals (I know that I am!)
• Tea drinkers are thankful that the world is not full of just coffee
• Workers are thankful they have a job that pays the bills, though sometimes they don’t often feel like showing up to work
• Creators are thankful for their witty minds that stirs up inspiration
• We are grateful for our cars though gas prices are exorbitant, etc.

Our list should be miles long. Whenever we have a tendency to murmur and complain, pause because the alternatives could be worse.

I am thankful for you choosing to read this post. Happy Thanksgiving. Enjoy and stay safe.