Editorial: We have many reasons to express our gratitude, on this day and every day

Many people have been expressing gratitude in recent days. Some people are thankful that their candidates won in recent elections. Others are just glad the nasty campaign season is over — at least until the next one begins.

In reality, when we think about it, most people surely will agree that we have many reasons to be thankful — and we always do. Thursday’s Thanksgiving Day holiday is meant to remind us of that truth.

That should be an easy message to appreciate as most of us look across the table as we enjoy a special feast, whether it’s turkey or tamales, with family and friends. Indeed, our blessings are many.

Perhaps it’s fitting that this holiday comes so soon after our national election day, which increasingly caps off months of heated debate over opposing candidates and issues. It offers us an opportunity to reunite, set aside our differences, and celebrate our common interests and goals.

Days of thanks are common in countries around the world. They go back to ancient times when people held festivals or set aside days to show gratitude to the gods for good harvests or successful war campaigns. In this country various groups held local feasts and commemorations such as the oft-told story of the Pilgrims’ feast in 1623. Our first president, George Washington, proclaimed the first national day of thanks in 1789, and Abraham Lincoln formally declared an annual national day of thanks in 1863. Traditionally, Lincoln made the declaration during the head of our Civil War to remind warring Americans that even in the midst of turmoil and animosity, we still had many blessings and reasons to give thanks.

And indeed we do. We might tend to focus on major negative issues and occurrences, whether it be political and social unrest or personal difficulties, but they should not erase the many positive elements in our lives, such as our families, our health and even the freedoms we have that enable us to argue our differences and march through the sometimes messy process of freely selecting our government officials. Many people only dream of being able to debate openly or to have a say in how they are governed, and by whom.

The pressures of the day might narrow our focus and cause us to forget the blessings we have. For example, we might feel dismay over the many people from other countries coming to our borders and overwhelming officials trying to either deal with them or keep them out. But those difficulties should remind us that we live in a country who which people are swarming, and not a violent, failed state like those such people risk life and limb to escape. We might be unhappy with our economic fortunes, but we still have the opportunity to seek gainful employment, and pursue education or training that might enable us to improve ourselves and expand our job opportunities.

Daily pressures might lead us to forget the many blessings we enjoy. Thanksgiving reminds us that no matter what might worry us at any time, there is still much good in our lives. May that reminder stay with us long after the holiday, and lighten our spirits every day.

We wish everyone a blessed holiday filled with joy and thanks.

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