Pilgrims were thankful for surviving. What are you thankful for this year? (Eric Schultz / eschultz@al.com)
-- Many families who have skipped saying grace around the dinner table all year will, on Thanksgiving Day, look around the table and begin the "Thankful Game," as one of my friends calls it.
Awkwardly at first, but then with more confidence, people will pile onto the laden table a topping of the things that bring them joy: Clean water, a relatively non-corrupted election, a baby who's now strong and laughing after starting the year in a neo-natal unit, a surprise promotion, a phone call from a long-lost brother, the luminescent leaves, a good football game to watch later, and a happy dog already licking his chops over hopes of helping to clean up Thanksgiving leftovers.
What are we thankful for?
The answers that question stirs range from the facetious to those so deeply personal,they can't be shared without tears filling the eyes of both tellers and listeners.
Studies in the growing field of the psychology of happiness have shown that taking some time to consider what, in all this ragged and battered world, is something to be grateful for can actually help us see more of the good around us all the time.
As one of my favorite prayers, collected in
puts it: "Daily we walk, blind, through the miracles.
As a gift to our readers that I personally am thankful for, area ministers have submitted prayers of thanksgiving that will be collected for publication in the Thanksgiving Day newspaper. Be on the lookout for those, both online, and then in print next week, as you consider your own words of thanksgiving.
The poll on this page is, of course, woefully inadequate for such a topic. If you have a response or a comment, please add your comments below, or email me at
and I will add them to this online discussion.
And a joyful and gratitude-laced Thanksgiving to you and yours!