What Are You Thankful For?

Abraham Lincoln Declares Thanksgiving

 

On October 3, 1863, expressing gratitude for a pivotal Union Army victory at Gettysburg, President Abraham Lincoln announced his Thanksgiving proclamation. He proposed that our nation celebrate an official day of Thanksgiving on November 26, 1863.

A week before the national Thanksgiving holiday, he delivered the most famous 272 words in American history, the Gettysburg Address. We were reborn with a new dedication to the proposition that all are created equal and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. The last known copy written by Lincoln and the only one signed and dated by him is on display at the Lincoln Room of the White House.

An objective study of the founding of our nation will show that the odds were extraordinarily high against America happening at all. Yet here we are 244+ years later. America amazes me and I am thankful for it. How about you?

thank·ful / thăngk-′fəl /adj 1. Aware and appreciative of a benefit; grateful / 2. Expressive of gratitude

It’s hard to remember a time when things seemed more divided. And probably not since the civil war that America has been so politically polarized. It used to be we could agree to disagree. Do you disagree with that?

Still we as Americans manage to figure things out, and this is certainly not the first time we had to reconcile differences. Often times in our history the gains we made were in the striving to reconcile those differences.  

It’s been a tumultuous year and it’s still not over. Yet through the turmoil I can share my ‘what I am thankful’ for list with an attitude of gratitude. And I invite you to do the same.

I am grateful for: Freedom, Health, Faith, Family and Prosperity.

Freedom

Some time ago, I was actively recruiting physicians for healthcare organizations. They are always in demand and often hard to fine. One of my candidates was an American of Chinese decent. He was born here and had extended family in China. As a doctor, he spent two years doing philanthropic work there. When it came time for him to come back to America, he was shocked to find out that he was not being ‘allowed’ to leave. He relayed the story of having to get the American government involved to prove he wasn’t a Chinese citizen. Upon his return to the U.S., he proceeded to tell everyone who would listen, that you must never take your freedom for granted.

Are you listening?

Health

It’s been a tough year for many people to stay healthy both physically and mentally. This year we have had challenges that impacted almost every American. However, Pfizer and Moderna, have produced vaccines that are from 90-95% effective against covid-19. Both companies are using a pioneering messenger-RNA platform for their vaccines according to the Washington Times. Both are in the FDA approval process right now. We have seen the passing of people we shared life with, including college classmates, family members, and business associates. The message is to take care of yourself.

How much is your health worth?

Faith

As a consultant, people have often heard me say, “belief doesn’t exist in a vacuum.” And as a husband and father, my faith life has never been deeper or more important to me than it is right now. Faith is intertwined with the freedom to express it. The sense of spiritual growth and inner connectedness, for me, are the fabric of life and the tapestry of tomorrow. And we never take it or its freedom of expression for granted. Ask those who have fled this very thing as they traversed the sea to start anew in a new world. And they expressed their gratitude at the first Thanksgiving in 1621.

Family

I have to admit, it took me awhile to grow into an ‘attitude of gratitude’ for my family of origin. I think it’s safe to say I am not alone in this regard. But as time passes and life unfolds, I also think we can count our blessings. This means we choose to focus on what we have vs what we don’t have. Our extended families are now scattered around the country, Florida, Tennessee, Colorado, Illinois, Iowa, Wisconsin, Michigan and New York. And sometimes I think we are all grateful that we are (lol).

I am so grateful for my wife, Jane, the love of my life, (she’s blushing). My daughter, Elizabeth, is engaged to be married. I couldn’t be prouder of her as the father of the bride, or prouder of my future son-in law, Joe, the Army Veteran.

Are you grateful for your family, no matter what?

Prosperity As I write this the Dow Jones industrial average closed at 29,950, eclipsing its all time high from February 2020. It may fluctuate or fall back tomorrow, but that’s still amazing. We all have skin in this game one way or another and are blessed to be Americans.

Are you taking your prosperity for granted?

Okay, now its you’re turn. What are you thankful for?