I read Jessica Day George’s blog post yesterday, and have been thinking about it ever since.  The American concept of the Thanksgiving holiday has reverted from a national day of gratitude (hence, “Thanksgiving Day”) to a day devoted to eating a traditional meal and watching TV.

Don’t get me wrong.  I’m a huge fan of eating (and cooking, and food in general), and I watch my fair share of TV.  I just hope people are as aware of their blessings as they are of the meal, and as watchful of their families as they are of the football score.

On that note, I’m going to try hard this week to note things that I am thankful for.

1.  Religion.  I don’t know where we’d be without it.  Though some people perform atrocities in the name of religion, I believe those are in a minority.  Religion offers hope and a way to cope in an increasingly insane world.

2.  Family.  I come from a large family, with a strong focus on reading and crafts.  (Can you tell? ;))  I would be a very different person without that background.  I think I’m a better person for it.  (A more patient person, at least.  Particularly if I have my knitting with me….)

3.  Crocheting time.  I’m test-crafting my Rapunzel patterns – the ones I’ve finished (not Brute, yet).  So far, so good.  Little do my niece and nephew realize (I hope, I hope…) that they’ve seen me working on part of their present for next month.  (The Rapunzel dolls are so popular with them that I decided the end results of said testing might as well serve some purpose….)

4.  Books.  Need I say more?  😉

5.  Modern medicine.  I might not take a pill every time I have a headache, but modern medical technology has had (and continues to have) a definite effect on my life.  It may not always be direct, but it has been present.

What are you thankful for?