Thankful All The Time

We set aside one day of the year to gorge ourselves on rich food and remember how thankful we are for said food, and football, and family.  (In some cases, not the family, so much.)
Yet, wouldn't it make life more pleasant all around if we were thankful every day for something in our lives?  How about coffee?  I could see a whole bunch of hands go up in the air if I asked on a Monday morning, "Who's thankful for coffee?"  The fact that we can brew or buy a cup of nice, hot, caffeinated goodness gets many of us through the very tough prospect of facing the new day. (I mean, let's face it, some of us are night owls, and morning, especially EARLY morning, just sounds like a bad idea.  Especially if it involves leaving bed and having to think clearly.)

How many of us stop to think how very fortunate we are in this country that MOST of us can get up and brew that coffee, and have something to eat with it?  There are plenty who can't, even in this country.  Which is awful, and something that we need to work on.  (And think about those who don't even have a bed to sleep in, or a roof overhead.  On the whole, as a society, we are pretty spoiled.)

What about Wi-Fi? Or cell phone service for your smart phone?  Ever think about how many people can't afford that?  It isn't cheap.  Most of us accept the expense because it is so difficult today to conduct life without the smart phone or at the least, the computer with a high-speed Internet connection.  Sure, there are cheap, pay as you go plans available, but most people who are financially strapped can't even justify that expense.  I can see an awful lot of hands go up, my own included, if somebody asked "Who'd be lost without their smart phone?"
In the first place, I am thankful to be alive in the time when this technology is ubiquitous and useful.  In my youth, if we had told people that these devices and services would exist, they would have sent us off for mental evaluation.  They would have told us we were dreaming.  (They should have known better than to tell Star Trek fans something couldn't be done.  We now have communicators, we almost have medical scanners, can phasers and warp drive be far behind? Trek fans will always take up a challenge!)
In the second place, using the technology helps keep my mind sharp.  I need to be able to figure out new things quickly, and having the phone and all its multitudes of apps to master keeps me on my toes!  It has helped at work by making it easier for me to adapt to hardware, software, and procedural changes. 

How many of us take music for granted?  The background of most movies, tv shows, even life itself, as various places we go and people we interact with have music playing in the environment.  Music is a very big deal in my life, and something I give thanks for every single day.  Both making it and listening to it are joys that I cannot live without. 

Of course, everyone (or nearly everyone) says they are thankful for family and friends at Thanksgiving.  Every day, the people who must live with you, put up with your quirks, work with you, look at you, are there.  Nearly every one of them does a good job of living with you, making allowances for your quirks, and working with you.  Some of them even love you.  That's a wonderfully miraculous thing.  It's something I give thanks for constantly.  That my husband is always there, always loving me, that my coworkers actually seem glad to see me when I come in to work, that I have friends who willingly spend time with me, my life is so full and so rich because of them.  It makes me happy to try to give that joy back by appreciating them and being there for them no matter what.  (Though most of them are nowhere near the Prima Donna pain in butt that I am!  I'm the Baby, gotta love me!)

It seems there is a lot to be thankful for.  Perhaps one day to stop and actually acknowledge the fact is a good thing.  I hope it remains that, a day to stop and reflect and give thanks for all the many good things we have in this world.  It is in danger of becoming a day to either shop, or prepare to shop, for yet more stuff that we don't really need.  I am very thankful to live in this country, I believe our system is one of the best, and our history may not be untarnished, but it shows a people who learn, who grow, who change for the better, usually. I am concerned though, by the whole atmosphere we seem to be living in that seeks to divide people, categorize people, encourage people to keep consuming.  Some days I wonder if we have been transported to one of the many dystopian societies that were featured in the science fiction I read as a teen. 
When those moods strike, someone will inevitably post something cool and hopeful, or better yet, some little kid will show up at the library all jazzed to be there, and happy about getting books to read.  Makes my whole day. 
I am thankful for this life.  I do not take it for granted, not any of it.  Some days it's hard to express this. So I hope if others are like I am, that that they actually take advantage of the day set aside to be thankful, and reflect on more than just their overstuffed tummy or what sales they plan to hit.
Happy Thanksgiving.  I am thankful to you for reading.