Thanksgiving is one of our very favorite holidays. The main reason we enjoy it so much is the very purpose for this event...to give thanks for the many blessings that we enjoy on a daily basis. It's great to have a holiday devoted specifically to being thankful.

With all of the distractions of our fast-paced lives (pagers, e-mail, text messages, etc.) we sometimes forget how much we have to be thankful for. As Thanksgiving approaches, please take the time to stop and think about how fortunate we all are and make it a point to count our many blessings. When was the last time you saw the beautiful colors of the morning sky just before sunrise? Take notice of the beautiful colors of all the leaves you are raking and bagging. Make plans to take a slow walk through the woods or the park with someone that you love, with no agenda or appointments to worry about...leave the cell phone and pager at home. Spend a half hour doing nothing but petting your dog, cat or other animal (I'm not sure what to do with a fish). Do something special to help someone who is not as fortunate as yourself or who has suffered a loss. I expect that we can all think of someone who falls into that category.

Before you put your kids on the school bus today, or give them the keys to the car, or meet them at the door when they come to pick up the grandkids after work, hug them just a little longer than usual...I assure you that they won't mind a bit. Then ask them to pass this blessing along to someone else.

Try to make Thanksgiving a daily event and you will be pleasantly surprised at how much you have to be thankful for.

Also, please remember our brave men and women in uniform this holiday. Without their sacrifices throughout the history of this country, we wouldn't have so much to be thankful for. Plan to do something for a military family this holiday season.

God Bless America

Enjoy!