Being Thankful in a Rough Economy

Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays, it always has been. Despite only a months difference between Thanksgiving and Christmas, the actual celebration of those holidays has changed dramatically over the years. Christmas most everyone will agree has become a consumers holiday, losing it's way in the snowy beginnings of winter. Whereas, Thanksgiving is a time for reflection, family, friends, and a general kinship with the basic necessities of life.

Some Thanksgiving's it seems are harder to actually realize just what I'm thankful for, with the hectic bustle of life's constant motion. This one however is actually easier, and at first glance that would appear to be odd, given my situation. I am in the Ironworkers Union, I was laid off on August 25 of this year, I haven't been able to find work through the Union Hall for the last 3 months. I am finding it hard to pay all of my bills on time, but I am getting by.

It may sound strange to some, that having your life turned upside down by the current sorry state of the United States economy, would be a reason to give thanks, but it does. When you have things so easy for a while, i.e. a steady job, steady paychecks, you tend to spend more, always banking on the fact that you know that you will be working and the money will always be there. When you don't have that luxury, you are forced to go into survival mode, just getting by on the essentials. I will take that lesson from this experience and for that I am thankful.

Thanksgiving is a time for family and friends, which we often take for granted. Always knowing how much they care, but never really considering it. When not having a steady income for this long, you occasionally seem inconsequential, in the grand scheme of things, trying to occupy yourself in the day, and for once in your life wishing that you were indeed working. Your friends and family don't really consider that, however, they understand you and because of that know that you'll be back on your feet, and they will do whatever they can to help you do that. For the appreciation of friends and a newfound appreciation of having a job, I am thankful.

It's not always gloom and doom in this troubled economy, for at least once a year, I can reflect on all of the things that I have to be thankful for. Thanksgiving is that rarest holiday where it is an abstract concept, sure it was originally founded on the first settlers in this proud nation, but it means so much more than that to me and though we all have our differences in life, we all should be able to find something for which to be thankful. If you can bear the brunt of these tough economic times, and still be thankful, then you should have no problem carrying the lessons learned and that thankfulness throughout the rest of your days.