Giving Thanks

Here are a few things I am thankful for on my 67th celebration of Thanksgiving:

First and foremost, I am thankful for the health of my children and for the opportunities they are creating for themselves. Every day I am thankful that I became a father (and a stepfather) and am still, occasionally, called into service as a guide.

Many of us have lost loved ones but our hearts remain full of gratitude for the blessings we received from them on this earth. My late parents continue to guide me.

I am thankful for my wife who shows me time and again that she has my back. I am blessed by her love and support (even for my crazy ideas).

And for friends who can magically transport me to the best of times.

Thanks go to those who have employed me, past and present, for safe places to work and thrive. I’ve been lucky, and I thank them for the opportunities to provide.

I am so thankful for my own health. Even though there are new aches and pains that come with unwelcome pills and check ups, I still get up on stage in community theater and events all over town, and even danced in Scotland wearing a kilt this year.

And I am thankful for the community itself where we can have disagreements but always come together to celebrate and to collaborate. And for the larger community of a great republic as we navigate the complexities of freedom and democracy.

I am also thankful to every citizen who participates in this grand experiment and to the brave men and women in our military who protect that right.

I am thankful for those who give something of themselves so that others who are less fortunate might find light to improve their lives.

I am thankful for the forces of nature that give us air to breathe, water to drink, and land from which to grow. And I hope we take greater action to respect those divine gifts. And for the cosmos where our revolving home sees the sun set and rise again to remind us that every day holds new opportunities to improve.

Thanksgiving does not have a perfect history. Controversy goes beyond the story of when the first feast was held; it is steeped with cultural appropriation from a period that is frequently white-washed. For that reason many people do not celebrate Thanksgiving, and I understand their quarrel.

At the same time it must be understood that I, and many others, are not celebrating events, but, rather, what the day evolved into: A time to reflect upon those things for which we are grateful.

In my home growing up we each shared a story of thanks as we dined. There was excess from our many blessings, but we also learned to carry our bounty to others who have lived without. That’s how my family celebrated, and it is why I celebrate today.

I am deeply concerned today that some people are working to marginalize, even eliminate, many of those things for which I am grateful. Things like the recognition of equal rights for all Americans, compassionate justice, environmental protections, fairness of opportunity, public education, religious freedom and valuable social programs.

This Thanksgiving has placed emphasis on the fact that we cannot take our thankful lists for granted. Freedom and democracy demand vigilance and consistently renewed vigor to protect our enlightened changes.

My rational concerns, however, do not compromise the spirit or the intentions of giving thanks. And, so in the end, I am thankful to everyone, even those with whom I disagree, for taking time out of their day to allow me to share these thoughts.

Happy Thanksgiving to all!