Walking Spirit

What do we give thanks for as we sit around the table on this day? All of us have faced our own trials this year, some ended well, and some ended differently than we had hoped. It's often hard to see the good in a bad situation. In fact, we rarely look for the positive when something bad has happened.

Thanksgiving is a time to look back at the past year and find the positives in our lives. We should give thanks every day, but for this feast we should take a moment, put the bad stuff behind us, and focus on the positive. We all face challenges every day, and they don't go away just because it's Thanksgiving, but we need to reflect on what's truly important in our lives and deal with those challenges as they come. Instead of worrying about what may happen, we need to rejoice in our lives.

I am so thankful for the fact that I am here to experience life with all of you. Your support has lifted me up during my darkest days. I'm thankful to see the smile on Madeline's (my niece) face as she shows me a new loose tooth. I'm thankful for my friends, both old and new, who remind me that my life is just one small part of a tapestry that we all weave together. Most of all I'm thankful for life.

My part of the tapestry continues to change in ways I never could imagine. By the end of next week I will officially be unemployed. With the break from my old career new people and experiences have entered my life and enriched it in many ways. I am traveling down a new path that isn't entirely clear, and I'm thankful for the adventure that brings.

I hope you all take a moment to think about what you are thankful for, beyond the easy answers. Let the challenges you have faced be a backdrop for what's truly important in your life. Focus on those positives, and give thanks.