What I Am Most Thankful for Thanksgiving 2009

I am part Native American and do know thanksgiving is not a happy occasion for all. For many Native Americans thanksgiving means the time that marked the stealing of their land, being put on reservations and things of that nature. This is partially due to the fact that the natives Americans helped the pilgrims make it through the year by showing them how to grow some crops. Just thought I would throw in a bit of history for the reader.

I acknowledge both aspects of my history, but I like thanksgiving. Part of our family thanksgiving holiday dinner tradition is telling each other at dinner a couple things we are thankful for. We will actually be having dinner with my wife's family this year. And it should be pretty nice since she has not seen her brother and sister since their deployments almost a year ago. She also will get to spend some time with her niece.

This year I am thankful that my wife and family are all healthy. I am also thankful that I can still provide for them and vice versa. My wife's brother was deployed in Iraq and her sister in law was deployed in Afghanistan and both made it back safely. The recession is pretty bad and does not show much of a sign of slowing down, but we did not suffer any major drawbacks this year. We cut back on some things but nothing was essential. We just did not go out to movies and things like that as often as we did when the economy was better than the current mess that it is in.

I am also thankful that the country may be starting to head in the right direction. The public is starting to get disillusioned with the tax and spend big government philosophy of Barack Hussein Obama and his liberal allies. I am also thankful that the New York Yankees won The World Series. The University of Alabama is undefeated heading into the SEC Championship and possible could win the National Championship. I don't think the Ravens will be making it to the playoffs unless they buy a ticket to see a game.

There are things that I would like to have that I do not. Everyone has desires for things they don't have and may never get. At this time of year I always recall there is someone worse off, even though I wish I could help people like that and do some charity work. I have a woman who loves me, a healthy and happy family and everyone is healthy. It is also nice that all the bills are paid since I hear people are having a huge amount of financial problems in this country today.

Happy Thanksgiving and be safe.

J.