Happy Thanksgiving, Y'all

I wish that I had written this, but it was written by one of Bill Stott's former students, forwarded to me by my former teacher. It sums up; my feelings pretty well -- practice gratitude today and bless you all.

"Today is Thanksgiving, my favorite holiday. Because, in addition to the fact that it doesn't have all of the pressure of Christmas, the confused commercial icons of Easter or the bittersweet mix of MLK Day, we celebrate being thankful for all we have. This is one key to happiness that I try and share with as many people as possible: rather than focusing on what we want and do not have and is out of our grasp, thus being always somewhat dissatisfied, it's much more powerful and life-changing to give thanks for the things we do have, even the simplest things, like food in the fridge, friends we love, a job, an education, beautiful weather, a comfortable bed, hot water, great conversations, good shoes, freedom, a healthy mind and body. And so today, I would like to say thanks to you all, for the impact you've made in my life, for helping me on my journey, for the times we've shared, and for all of the wondrous experiences that are continuing to unfold.

"Life is sometimes not so much about what happens, but more about how we perceive the things that do happen. So give this a try: for just a few minutes tonight while lying in bed before drifting off to dreamland, give thanks for all the things you have. And then in the morning, before you climb out of bed, do the same thing. Try it for awhile, and you'll be amazed at how quickly your life changes, and how soon you'll be focusing on life's treasures rather than its forgettable disappointments."