“When I started counting my blessings, my whole life turned around.”

–Willie Nelson, singer and, apparently, philosopher!

 

Just two days to Thanksgiving, so it’s time for the easiest post I write each year: What I’m thankful for. If you’ve been reading me for years, you’ll see some repeats. Honestly, some of these things I don’t think about often, but others I thank God for every day. Okay, here we go:

• U.S. citizenship. All of us won that lottery!

• Democracy. It survived … again.

• Peaceful transitions of power. Like our health, it’s not appreciated until we lose it.

• Family, and the love and support that come with it.

• Volunteers. Time is our limited resource, and some give of it unselfishly.

• Grandchildren. If you’re a grandparent, nothing else needs to be said.

• Our four freedoms.

• Church family.

• First responders.

• Teachers, nurses, and ministers. Underpaid, they labor on.

• College football.

• Books. The fact that some people in our world have no access to them is incomprehensible.

• Benevolent organizations. They heed Jesus’ call to care for “the least of these.”

• Houses of worship.

• Friends.

• The ability to agree to disagree.

• Grace. For me, the most beautiful word in the Bible.

• Second chances (see “Grace”).

• North Carolina’s trout streams.

• A good cup of hot coffee, especially if shared with a friend.

• Independent bookstores, where we can lose ourselves in volumes of well-constructed words.

• Readers. Especially those of you who slog through this blog faithfully every two weeks!

• Last, and actually least, Ocean Spray cranberry sauce … but it sure is good!

May you and your loved ones have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Take a moment this year to reflect on, and thank God for, all of your blessings (just like Willie does!).