A time to be thankful

Of all the holidays, Thanksgiving is my favorite. You don’t have to go through the stress of finding the perfect gift for that loved one or best friend. You don’t have to dress up and go out anywhere. No, Thanksgiving is a time to gather around family and friends, to share memories and enjoy each other’s company along with some really great food.

Some of my best memories come from Thanksgiving. When I was a young teenager, I would go out with my dad and deliver food boxes that contained everything for a nice Thanksgiving meal to families from our church who were not as fortunate as we were. The appreciative smiles and sometimes tears really made you feel good inside... Going to my grandparents and playing card games while the aromas of turkey and fresh baked pies filled the air... The first time I had Thanksgiving dinner when I was dating Anna (my wife) and her mom putting out a huge bowl of pasta to go along with the turkey and all the trimmings... When our kids were in their early teens, we would go to San Francisco for Thanksgiving, see a movie, go to the International Auto Show and then shop the day after with all the hustle and bustle of the city... There were also special times when friends who were unable to be with their families would come over and enjoy the holiday with our family.

Although we have lost a lot of our financial wealth with what’s happened to the economy, I still consider myself to be very wealthy by the abundance of great memories I have accumulated so far and to the ones that are still out there waiting for me. So enjoy the holiday and take time to reflect and be thankful for those memories, because, regardless of what happens, nothing can take those away.