To be surrounded by family, my Thanksgiving wish for everyone.

Ah! on Thanksgiving day, when from East and from West,
From North and South, come the pilgrim and guest,
When the gray-haired New Englander sees round his board
The old broken links of affection restored,
When the care-wearied man seeks his mother once more,
And the worn matron smiles where the girl smiled before.
What moistens the lips and what brightens the eye?
What calls back the past, like the rich pumpkin pie?
- John Greenleaf Whittier, "The Pumpkin"

There is something truly special about this holiday. It gathers us in ways that are remarkable and lend to some of the best memories of love one could hope to have.

Some of the most honored memories of my childhood are of the gatherings held at my grandparents home on Thanksgiving Day. We watched the Macy's Parade. We ate and ate and ate. We laughed and talked. We had fun. We were reminded that though we were often far apart, we were still together in spirit. We were reminded of the gift of family.

When you are surrounded by your loved ones this Thanksgiving Day, think of what life would be like if you were missing just one of its members. What if there were no family with which you could celebrate at all? The holiday would lack any glimmer. And life would seem less full.

Tomorrow, it is my sincere hope that everyone watches floats enter Times Square, hollers for their favored football team, eats a large meal, and most of all, enjoys the company of family. Be thankful of them.

Some will be gathering with strangers tomorrow. There are many who, tomorrow of all days, will be without their families, whether because they are fighting overseas or because dire circumstances has landed them in crowds of others less fortunate.

And if you can spare a few dollars, consider helping another get a meal as good as the one you will be sharing with your family. Many shelters and food pantries are strapped this holiday season. If you can spare even a little, maybe everyone will eat tomorrow.

Another day of thanks

See how many are better off than you are, but consider how many are worse. - Seneca

This year has been especially trying for Americans and the citizens of many other countries. The credit crunch, numbers of foreclosed homes, and the increased numbers of the unemployed - we hear more and more of these things on the news every day. You need only flip on CNN for a few moments and bad news of the economy comes flooding in.

Some of us are feeling the effects of these things more than others. To those who feel the fear of loss, I can only remind them to keep faith in a sound and happy future. And look to your neighbors, friends, others in your community. Are they worse off? Could they use even the smallest helping hand?

It's so easy to hand out blame during bad times. There are still multi-millionaires out there who can not only stand on their own two feet, but have surrounded themselves in lifestyles of luxury that many of us cannot even conceive of.

Still, for all that are better off than you are now, there are countless others out there who can be counted as having it so much worse. If you aren't worrying about what you can afford to eat tonight, then carry some canned items to a food pantry. If you have a roof over your head at night, consider dropping some change into the kettle that will ensure one for another.

If you still have so much to be thankful for, the ability to help someone else can only be added to that. And when there are times when you feel you have nothing to give, consider a smile or a word of encouragement. Sometimes, that is more than enough.

Have you said "Thank You" today?

Silent gratitude isn't much use to anyone. - G.B. Stern

This week I'm giving as much thanks as possible. With that thought, I've decided to write on gratitude every day until Thankgiving. I hope you'll spend as much time giving thanks too.

There's been a lot of talk about gratitude of late. Anyone who's seen The Secret or read anything about the law of attraction in the last few years has noted that this is apparently a very important part of attracting all that is good to you.

I agree for this reason, but also for others.

As a child, I, like so many other good children, was taught to say "please" and "thank you". The point was to be polite above all else. But as I grew up, I began saying "thank you" for a whole other reason.

You see, people react a certain way to you when you extend the courtesy of a well said "thanks". People need to feel appreciated, respected, and wanted. They want to know that what they do has some measure of reward - just as you do. And when that appreciation is shown, they continue doing that which rewards them with gratitude.

Also, it means nothing to feel grateful if you aren't expressing it to this person. Silence, in this case, means that you have not noticed someone's thoughtfulness or kindness. Silence may mean you don't care when you should.

Now, take that one step further, and apply this to the Divine. Your gratitude towards God/the Universe/the Eternal Being (whatever your point of view), should be said aloud, expressed as fully as you can. Hearing yourself say it can only reinforce it.

And in this case, there's so much to be thankful for.

Have you said "thank you" today?

The greatest of virtues...

Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all others. - Cicero

Have you ever noticed that when you show gratitude, it begets kindnesses in your direction, it attracts those things that make you feel good? Isn't that wonderful?

And it doesn't matter what it is you are grateful for, whether it be something momentous or even the mundane. Being mindful of these things is so important. They can be so easily forgotten or overlooked. But they are part of those tiny strings of existence that affect everything else.

Furthermore, what would life be like if no one appreciated one another? Would anyone laugh with another, cry with another, fight for another?

The solid truth is this: this singular act is just as important a virtue, an adhesive in civilization, as any other. Nay, more. The importance of every other is solely based on how it is received.

Plus, if it weren't for gratitude, what would we actually see? Flowers, oceans, smiles, hugs, gum, card games, tomatoes, running, frosty breath, gentleness, friendship, communication. Yes, these great things are around us all the time. But gratitude is the eyes through which we are truly able to see them.