Here thar be Turkey,..

On this day of giving thanks, at least for my American readers, I can say I am thankful for a lot. I will say though that this holiday is typically surrounded by negative feedback. So many focus on the lack of foresight for the indigenous population of the Americas. They use it to point out the exploitative beliefs of religious fanatics. It is followed by the largest day of expression for the consumer based mass corporation fueled market that has become a cultural icon. Those pointed hat buckle people were the first immigrants natives bitched about, and its good to see we still have the tradition of bitching about immigrants in our country, but sad to see we fail to offer them hospitality.

You see this day is not about family. Though I might say different tomorrow, believe it or not it is not about football either. It is not about that delicious turkey, no matter how it was prepared. It is not about your God, or about mine. It is not about America. It is for damn sure not about those Black Friday Ad's or the Macy's parade of consumer delight. It is not about a lot of things we pay so much attention to.

It is about hospitality though. It is about opening your home to the unknown and sharing your bounty with others. It is about people coming together and sharing in survival. It is about giving thanks for those things that make life possible, and about those that make it enjoyable. It is about things bigger then you or I. So that being said I will offer my thanks to those that have helped me survive and thrive over the years.

I am thankful for;

A wife worth loving.

A daughter that is happy healthy and smart.

A country worth fighting for.

Friends worth talking too.

People who challenge my beliefs.

My family of choice.

The meals I eat everyday.

My needs being met.

There is so much in this world to be thankful for, and I am sure many of you will think of better things to say. To many people focus on the things they do not have, and wish to force their ideas on others to show they are right. They focus on what they can take from other people, but they miss what they have. The miss so much and take things for granted. So today be thankful for what you have, and even if only for a short period let that be your focus, rather then what others have. Kiss the one you love. Eat all you can and for those that can't. Indulge but indulge with wisdom and joy.

Today be thankful. You have many blessings, they are yours. Share them if you like, and accept those that others want to share with you. Be thankful for life. Be thankful for all you have, and you might find you have all you need. Be thankful for the people who love you. Be thankful for the roof over your head, no matter what form it takes. Be thankful for the food you eat. Just be thankful. Life is enough to be thankful for, no matter how shitty you think you have it, you are still breathing and can do something about the rest.