Thanks-giving on Thanksgiving 2014

Thanks-giving, my personal public acknowledgement and attitude is actually much more than just an October and November time frame. Expressing 'thanks' in words and sharing in writing my gratitude is an act of 'giving' that I am honored for the opportunity to possess. Being a newspaper columnist and writing this weekly column has been a blessing to me, because of you, the reader. There is seldom a week that goes by that I do not hear from someone who reads the column. The two most used methods of comments are via email and personal words shared when we pass or meet out and about in life. I know the comments are real especially when someone shares a thought from a column written a month ago or more. Normally their expression begins with, "I've been meaning to tell you". The emails come from all over and they are always welcomed and appreciated. This week is the real Thanksgiving and on my list of 'thanks-giving' is much more than food. Although food seems to have rightfully earned a serious spot of 'thanks-giving' because of all the work required to produce a meal for the family masses. I like to joke in yet a serious way, folks gather on Thanksgiving at the home of whoever cooks! Preparing big meals to feed 15, 30 or more are catered events for the generation that expressed no interest in being skilled within the art of cooking. Sometimes are lives are so sheltered in areas that we have given little to none attention to. For example, folks often offer to help but there would be a heart attack to occur if acceptance of your offer was met with a reply, would you fix this. Those who cook for the masses have learned it is easier if folks just stayed away and let you keep your pace in the kitchen preparing everything. I guess the helpers that will never be eliminated would be the taste testers. Every family has at least one of them if not two or more members. The folks that nibble here and nibble a little bit there, eating at every station, but doing so in the manner of protecting the family from an unperfected plate of food. Those members are here to stay and there is always an active list of volunteers when the position for such is available for filling. One of the facts easily missed about Thanksgiving is that this is strictly an American Holiday. This fact will truly set in when you have the experience of being in another country on Thanksgiving. We American's pay little attention to this fact I'm sure on most every Thanksgiving. It is a fact we might should call to the attention of our attendees this year as we gather, attempting to spark some 'thanks-giving' in way that might have been previously missed. Living in America as a visitor from another country folks who are not citizens often appreciate the facts of citizenship and the meaning of Thanksgiving even greater than we might. This condition is a sad fact but all across the world everyday, people in foreign lands line up and knock on the doors of the Embassies of the United States of America wanting to come in and call the USA home. This Thanksgiving Season we should not let the opportunity pass for our personal 'thanks-giving' for the opportunity to be citizens of the United States. Thanksgiving, you are a grand ole tradition! The opportunity to write this column is a blessing that I am 'thanks-giving' all-about, and over and over again honored to do. Thanks for reading my inspirations, thoughts and suggestions. I am excited to give back by sharing, expressing and putting my ideas out there on the table of discussion, motivation and encouragement. Until then