The Blessings of Thanksgiving
By Wes Fessler

Thanksgiving is a holiday that helps us to remember what we appreciate most about life. We are able for a moment to escape the tasks of daily routines and reflect on the essential elements that make us who we are. It is at this time that we enter an enhanced state of gratitude for the many blessings of love and sustenance that we always enjoy, but are generally to busy to appreciate. Thanksgiving is an opportunity to step out of the frame to enjoy the artwork of our lives.

As it was for the Pilgrims in 1621, Thanksgiving today is an opportunity to take refuge from the challenges and demands of daily life to give thanks to those who have endured them with us. Thanksgiving is a time for humble appreciation of our place in the world and for those who share it with us. It is a time to stand in contrast to the adversity of the world to enjoy all that allows us to live and thrive together.

At this time of Thanksgiving let us reflect on the blessings of our lives and embrace them, however small they may be. Let us identify the positive aspects in people, events, and opportunities that allow us to prevail in a tumultuous world. Let us escape for a moment our daily cares and give thanks for the bounteous blessings of family, friends, and prosperity. On Thanksgiving let us appreciate all that is most precious.